


Strong But Weak

by UCanOnlyHope



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alpha Daryl Dixon, Alpha Michonne, Alpha Negan, Alpha Rick Grimes, Alpha Shane Walsh, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Beta Enid, Beta Jesus (Walking Dead), Beta Lori Grimes, Beta Olivia (Walking Dead), Beta Sophia Peletier, Carl Is Not The Normal Omega, Cegan, Cute Carl Grimes, Cute Judith Grimes, Eventual Sex, First Time, Flashbacks, Harsh Language, He even likes Judith, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Jealous Carl Grimes, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Masturbation, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Negan can be sweet, OOC, Omega Carl Grimes, Omegaverse, One-Eyed Carl Grimes, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Playmating, Protective Negan (Walking Dead), Sad Carl Grimes, Slight Humor, Song references, Underage - Freeform, Will happen though i swear, just a little, not a songfic, only a little bit though, slow-burn romance, some cliffhangers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:14:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 26
Words: 34,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21887986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UCanOnlyHope/pseuds/UCanOnlyHope
Summary: Carl Grimes never wanted to be this way. He never wanted people to see him this way. He hates it.But that all changes when a certain someone pops into his life and helps him realize who he is and who he wants to be.Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define yourself. -Harvey Fierstein
Relationships: Carl Grimes & Enid, Carl Grimes & Judith Grimes, Carl Grimes & Lori Grimes, Carl Grimes & Rick Grimes, Carl Grimes & Sophia Peletier, Carl Grimes/Negan, Rick Grimes & Shane Walsh, Rick Grimes/Lori Grimes, Rick Grimes/Michonne
Comments: 93
Kudos: 203





	1. You Are What You Is

**Author's Note:**

> Chapters will be kinda short, but that's because I think if I keep them short, I'll update them more regularly. Let's hope, fingers crossed.

_All this talk about equality. The  
only thing people really have  
in common is that they are all  
going to die.  
**-Bob Dylan**_

10 YEARS AGO…

"Is there any way we can tell?" Rick bounced his leg up and down. He knew he should break that habit, but he hasn't really tried to, honestly. "I mean, we would like to know before…" he trailed off, knowing that something could happen without them being prepared. Or nothing could happen at all, he reminded himself.

"I understand." The doctor thought for a moment. The doctor was Dr. Simpson. Rick and Lori were visiting him alone and personally to ask him some questions about their son, Carl. "And there could be a way."

"What is it?" Lori asked, hope glimmering in her eyes.

"Give him a doll," Dr. Simpson suggested.

"A doll?" Rick asked, sharing a confused look with his wife. "Why a doll?"

"Just see how he handles it."

"But how would that help us?" Rick didn't really understand how Carl having a doll would help them know if he was an Alpha, Beta, or omega. It made no sense. Yet.

"For example, if he treats the doll like any five-year-old would, like messing around with it, loosing it, all that, he is most likely a Beta. Now, if he protects it, doesn't let anyone touch it or anything, an Alpha would make more sense," Dr. Simpson explained.

"But what if he was an omega?" Lori wondered. "What kinds of signs would that be?"

"Nurturing. Omegas tend to be very good nurturers. He would clean the doll, take care of it, maybe even pretend to feed it."

"Like it is his child," Rick offered.

"Exactly," Dr. Simpson agreed.

"That would make plenty sense. Thank you, Doctor." Rick shook Dr. Simpson's hand.

"No problem. Glad to be of help."

Rick and Lori soon after left the building, thinking over what Dr. Simpson told them.

"Should we go but him a doll before we pick him up from school?" Lori asked.

"I think we should," Rick agreed. So they went to the store before picking up their boy.

\------

"How was school today, Carl?" Lori asked him. The three of them were in the car driving hom from school with Lori behind the wheel.

"It was boring." Carl never failed to be literal.

"Well, we have a present for you when we get home," Rick jumped in.

"Yay!" the five-year-old cheered.

Once they made it home and got settled in, Carl started to bounce up in down on the couch excitedly.

"What about the presant, Mommy?" he asked.

"I'll go get it, dear. Just stop bouncing on the couch, please."

"Okay."

Lori gave the child the doll. It was like any kind of baby doll. Big, blue eyes, no hair, with cute little outfits. This one was obviously supposed to be a girl.

"A doll?" Carl frowned, then smiled. He loved it.

\------

Rick and Lori peeked in Carl's playroom where he was at. The sight made Rick smile. Lori on the other hand… 

"What is he doing?" she whispered in Rick's ear. 

"What does it look like?" 

Currently, Carl was rocking the baby doll and singing to it softly. The adults couldn't tell what he was singing, which was intentional. He always got embarrassed when he's singing in front of people, so he made sure he was super quiet so they couldn't hear. 

Lori grabbed Rick's shoulder and tugged him back into the living room. 

"This is going to be a problem," she told him. 

"Why?" 

"Don't you see what he was doing? That's a sign he's an omega, and that's not good." 

"Why is that bad?" Rick didn't understand what Lori was trying to imply. To him, if Carl was an omega, then fine. That's who he is and Rick accepts that. 

"Don't you know what happens to omegas out there? You have to Mr. Cop. How many omegas have you seen _dead_ because they can't defend themselves? Omegas are low-rated. So much, that at school, work, and home, they are put down. All the time." Lori crossed her arms. She was really worried for Carl's safety. 

"I have noticed that, and there's nothing we can do about it." Rick rubbed his forehead, trying to think. "He will be fine. He has no omega parents, so any threat that comes to him, we can take care of it." 

"For how long?" Lori asked. "Omegas have almost no rights, and they get killed by the hundreds every goddamn day! We can't protect him all his life!" 

"You're right," Rick agreed. "So we're gonna teach him to defend himself for when the time comes that he needs to."


	2. Who Got The Power?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the nice comments! You guys are probably the reason I got this posted this early lol. :D
> 
> I hope this doesn't disappoint!

_Power concedes nothing  
without a demand. It never did  
and it never will.  
**-Frederick Douglass**  
_

"Hey, Carl?" Rick asked while him, Michonne, and Carl were eating dinner. Michonne was trying to get Judith to eat, but the girl was refusing. 

"Yeah?" Carl responded. 

"Are you feeling okay?" That was a shock question. Well, sort of. It would be if Rick didn't ask that every day. 

"Yes, Dad, I'm fine." Carl rolled his eyes. 

Michonne smiled, knowing why Rick keeps asking that. He had told her not that long ago, and she couldn't blame him from being worried. 

Ever since the clues with that doll years and years ago started to surface, Rick had now been waiting for the final thing that will seal the deal that yes, in fact, Carl was an omega. They'll have to go through Carl's heat. 

It was around that time of presentation. Soon enough, they would know for sure who he is. 

Carl, though, knew that soon will be the time. Rick had told him about the doll about a year ago, so he was in the know. But he was able to see a lot more clues than his parents, and all the clues had gotten him quite confused. 

For example, he remembers one time at the playground of his school during recess. He was sitting with his doll when another boy his age came up to him.

_"What do you got there?" the boy asked. Carl could already tell the boy wasn't there to make friends._

_"Just my doll." Carl held the doll a little tighter._

_"So what, you're a little girl now?" The boy laughed rudely._

_"No…" Carl's eyes teared up in fear of what the boy was gonna do._

_"Give me that, then." The boy reached out to grab the doll from Carl._

_"No!" Carl pulled the doll away from him. He quickly set the doll down behind him and stood up, facing the boy full-on._

_"You leave it alone," Carl growled at the other boy. He wasn't scared anymore. Actually, he was more angry than scared._

_The boy's eyes widened in shock as Carl glared at him. He turned and ran away. Carl relaxed, then smiled. He turned and grabbed his doll, whispering soothing things to it._

_Then, he said-_

Actually, Carl couldn't remember what he said. No matter how hard he tried to, he just couldn't.

"Uh, Carl?" Rick's voice brought Carl out of his trance. "You okay?" 

"Yeah. Just got lost in thought." Carl couldn't stop going back to that time. Of that feeling. The feeling of… _power_.

"Okay. If anything feels off…" 

"I know, Dad. Come and get you immediately." This was starting to annoy Carl, and they could all see it. 

"I'm sorry. I'm just worried is all," Rick tried to explain. 

"I get it, Dad," Carl assured him. "I understand." 

"Okay," Michonne jumped in. "We should get this little one up to bed. You too, Carl." 

"But, Michonne!" Carl whined. "I'm like what, fifteen? Maybe sixteen at the oldest? I don't need a bedtime! At least, not an early one!" 

"Don't look at me!" Michonne put her hands up in defense. "Ask your father."

"Dad?" Carl turned to Rick with pleading eyes. "Please?" 

"Fine," Rick sighed. "But stay in your room and don't be too loud 'cause your sister needs to sleep, too. Remember not to stay up all night!" He had to call out the last part as Carl was already jumping up the stairs to get to the bathroom so he can brush his teeth. 

"Whatever!" he called back. 

Rick sighed and slumped down in his chair, watching Michonne clean up Judith's spot. 

"He's growing up too fast," Rick told her. "I don't like it." 

"Aw, don't be such a grump," Michonne teased. Then she got serious. "Yeah, soon enough he'll be out there on his own." 

"That's what I'm worried about," Rick mumbled. "He can't…be out there." 

"He'll be fine," Michonne assured him. 

"No, he won't! He doesn't have the power to…" He trailed off, not wanting to think about what could happen to his son. Definitely in this world were there is no government or society. 

"He might," Michonne reminded him. "We don't know for sure." 

"But the doll-" Michonne cut him off. 

"I know what the doll brought out in him, and I'm not saying the signs were wrong. But just think about it. Did you know what he did with it at school? With bunch of other kids? At home it's just him and his family, so he's comfortable."

Rick thought about this for a minute. He did remember a call from the school saying that Carl had picked a fight with one of the kids (which surprisingly relieved Lori of some stress). Maybe that means…no. Then the other signs made no sense. He didn't get it. 

"Maybe, deep down, he _does_ have that power," Michonne suggested. "I mean, with _you_ as a father, I wouldn't doubt it." 

"Yeah, you're right," Rick sighed. He looked at where Carl was sitting and noticed something. "Carl didn't put away his dishes." 

Michonne laughed. "I'll get him." 

Rick laughed too and shook his head. "So grown up." 

\------

"Finally!" Carl plopped down on his bed. He was free, as he got all the things he needed to do, like take care of his dishes. 

He was planning on staying up later than he did, but, of course, his brain decided that sleep was more important. He was starting to get more drowsy every minute. 

He turned his light off then got comfortable under his blankets. 

Suddenly, as he was about to fall asleep, he remember what he had said back at the playground. 

_"It's okay, baby doll, I'll always protect you…"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter was posted too early, I was just excited. Maybe I should set certain dates or times of the week to post chapters. I'll think about it *^v^*
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. I Don't Know What to Do or Where to Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't been feeling well today, so I wrote this while resting. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

_An ideal wife is one who  
remains faithful to you but  
tried to be just as charming as  
if she weren't.  
**-Sacha Guitry**_

__

3 YEARS AGO…

"Um, excuse me." Lori turned and ended up face-to-face with Shane Walsh.

"Yes?" she asked him, turning back around to keep doing the laundry.

"I want to ask you something."

"And what is that, Shane?" Lori tilted her head at him curiously. She needed to get the laundry done, but it could wait a moment.

"I just wanted to see if we could take a walk." Shane's eyes darkened a bit. That didn't go past Lori. "Alone."

"Uh…sure! Just let me finish this laundry. I'm almost done with it anyway." She blinked, wondering what he would want from her.

She finished the laundry then followed Shane into the woods. She was a little worried, but she knew she could trust Shane…could she?

"Stop here." Shane stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Why are we-" Shane cut her off by kissing her, already shoving a tongue inside her mouth. 

Lori pushed him away and laughed awkwardly.

"Are you going into rut or something, Shane?" She took a step back, trying to stay away in case he was. "When was the last time you took your pill?"

"Yesterday," Shane answered. "This is all intentional."

"Shane, I'm married," Lori reminded him. "To your friend, may I add."

"May I remind you," Shane took a few steps closer, pushing her against a tree. "My friend is dead. There is nothing we can to to save him, either, and you know that." Lori tilted her head again. Seems like everyone has their little habits.

"So…now what are you gonna do?" Lori asked, trying her best to stay calm. She knew what Shane wanted to do, and she knew it was wrong. But…she felt empty without Rick, and knowing he was dead…she thought that maybe it would be good if she just…moved on. At least, try to. 

"Okay," she agreed, and her and Shane both kissed. 

\------

Carl saw his mother and Shane walk away together into the woods. He knew something was up. And he had a feeling he knew what it was. Shane can be quite persuasive, and Carl was scared he would do something bad to him mom. 

But, nonetheless, he let them be, hoping his mom knew what she was doing.

"Hey, Carl!" Sophia shouted, running towards him. "Guess what?!" 

"What?" he asked, curious. 

"Mom said she thought she caught someone on the radio!" 

"Really?!" Carl grinned. "Has she spoken to them?" 

Sophia sighs. "Nah. Unfortunately she lost them about a minute later." 

"Damn it," Carl said. Sophia gasps. 

"You shouldn't curse!" 

"Whatever," Carl says, rolling his eyes. "Shane curses all the time." 

Sophia leaned in and whispered, "Yeah, but he's an adult!" 

"So?" Carl whispered back. "What they don't know ain't gonna hurt 'em." They both giggled. 

"Do you _still_ have that doll?" Sophia caught sight of the baby doll laying next to Carl. He quickly grabbed it and held it to his chest. 

"So what?" he asked, giving Sophia cute puppy eyes. "I like this doll." 

"But you're, like, twelve or whatever," she told him, still confused. "Shouldn't you be over that already?" 

"Maybe. But…I just can't let it go." 

"Why not?" 

"I've had it since I was five years old, Soph. I've grown connected." Carl brushed his fingers over the dolls cheek, caressing it softly.

"So, you're saying you're still connected to a five-year-old toy. Like, you're so obsessed with it."

"You're mean," Carl scolded. 

"You're weird," Sophia replied.

"Whatever." Carl spotted his mom and Shane coming back out of the woods. "I have to go," Carl said to Sophia. She shrugged. 

Carl quickly walked over to Shane after Lori parted with him, doll in hand. 

"Hey, Carl," Shane said. 

"Hello," he replied. "Were you and Mom mating?" Once again, the boy never failed to be literal. 

"Yeah." Shane, on the other hand, was just annoyingly blunt all the time. 

"Why?" Carl asked him, adjusting the doll in his arms. 

"No reason," Shane lied. 

"Don't you only mate when you're in rut?" Carl was starting to get very curious. 

"Nah," Shane dismissed. "You can mate whenever." 

"Then why do Alpha's go into rut, then?" 

"Alpha's can only knot when their in rut," Shane replied.

"Why do Alpha's knot?" Carl tilted his head a bit, reminding Shane of Lori. 

"To make it easier for your mate to get pregnant." 

"Did you knot my mom?" 

"No, because I'm not in rut." Shane rolled his eyes. "Don't you think it's weird that you're asking these questions?"

"Don't you think it's weird that you're fucking a married woman?" Carl glared at him. He didn't like Shane doing that. Not when he hoped his father was alive. 

"Language!" Shane scolded, horrified. He didn't expect Carl to speak like that. He also didn't expect Carl to lift his chin and stomp away.

"You're sure he's not gonna be an Alpha, Lori?" Shane mumbled to himself.

\------

"Aww, Mom! I don't need you to cut my hair!" Carl complained while his mom started to snip away.

"I'm just thinning it," Lori told him. 

"But it doesn't need that, though!" 

"Carl, stop complaining. I'm almost done." Lori shook her head. She could never understood why Carl hated having his hair cut. 

"Lies!" 

Suddenly, a whooping sound started to come closer and closer, causing everyone to stop what their doing. Including Lori and Carl. 

A car with its alarm on drive into the camp, out coming Glenn soon after. 

"Shut that thing off!" Dale shouted from his RV. "It'll attract the dead!" 

Glenn quickly, with the help of a few others, turned it off. 

"What did you find?" Carol asked Genn. 

"Well, first of all, I found this dude in a goddamn tank." Glenn pointed at the man with his thumb. 

Carl strained to see who he was talking about when he saw him. 

"Dad!" he shouted, tears already forming in his eyes. He ran to him and hugged him as hard as he could. 

"Oh my god, Carl!" Rick was so relieved to see his son again. When he looked up, he noticed Lori fast walking towards him with a shocked expression. They both hugged too, having some trouble since Carl was nowhere near letting go. 

"Rick, you're alive," Lori whispered, holding his face in her hands, still surprised. 

"You're alive, too. Both of you." He hugged both of them, the three of them crying. 

Rick then noticed Carl's doll at their feet and pointed it out to Carl. 

"Aw, I'm so sorry!" Carl quickly grabbed it and rocked it side to side. "I'll never drop you again, baby doll." Everyone laughed. 

Rick was so relieved to have found his family, the people that mattered most to him. And he promised them both and himself that he would never leave them again.


	4. What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful day!  
> 

_Anybody moves,  
anybody says anything,  
cut the boy's other eye  
out and feed it to his  
father and then we'll  
start. You can breathe,  
you can blink, you can cry.  
Hell, you're all gonna  
be doing that.  
**-Negan**_

Stress. Stress everywhere. And anger. So much, it clouds Carl's brain. Too much of it. He couldn't explain how he could feel it. Sense it. _Smell_ it.

Ever since he heard, "Hi. I'm Negan," come from the older man's mouth, he became dizzy.

 _Maybe it's because he's an Alpha, and I'm an Omega,_ he thought. He growled low in his throat, hating the idea.

He had first presented as an omega about a month before, having his first heat in the middle of a run. He had stayed at an abandoned house all through it. Ever since, he had hated the thought of being an omega. He never wanted to be one in the first place, and he probably never will. Omegas have it a lot worse than anyone else. At least, that's what Carl thought.

"Excuse me?" Negan asked, turning towards Carl. "What did I just hear?"

Carl's head popped up, meeting Negan in the eye. Of course Negan heard him growl.

Negan was just finished talking to Rick about the deal when he heard a small growl coming from the teen.

"I think I asked you a fucking question," Negan said after Carl didn't answer, slowly walking towards him.

With every step, Carl's heart beat faster and faster. But he didn't let it show, just kept his ground, staying still and staring at Negan as he came closer.

As soon as Negan reached him, he crouched down to be level with Carl. "Or did you not hear me?"

Negan's breath hit Carl in a wave. Sweet, but musky. Carl had to shake it out of his thoughts.

"I heard you, but I decided not to answer," Carl replied, forcing his body to look relaxed. He hated this feeling of powerlessness. He had to do something to change that.

"Mouthy, huh?" Negan chuckled, a smirk slowly growing on his face. "Maybe I could change that."

 _Don't let him dominate you, don't let him dominate you,_ Carl thought to himself. So he stayed strong.

"I don't think you can." A surprised look flashed over Negan's face, but he quickly covered it up. But it was too late. Carl saw.

"You shouldn't fucking test that, kid." Negan stood up, causing his scent to wash over Carl, leaving him breathless. He also hated those stupid instincts.

"I think we're done here," Negan called out. "See you in a week for your dues." Carl whimpered at the thought of him leaving, then cursed himself immediately afterwards. "Oh, hoh! What do we have here?" Negan's smirk turned into a wide grin as he turned back to Carl. "Someone sad about seeing daddy leave?"

Carl straighted up and said, "No. I'd rather die than see your ass again." Oops. Too much. And Carl knew that right after he said it.

Negan's grin immediately dropped, not expecting a crude remark from the kid. Definitely not from an omega. No omega has talked back to him, or try to fight him. Ever. So this was quite a shock to him, and he wanted to test the waters. Push Carl's buttons until he's popped. Just like he did to Rick. 

"Okay," Negan said calmly. "So you want to play that game. Let's fucking play it." He walked back to Carl, slower than before. 

"Negan," Rick choked out, trying to stop the man. "Please. Don't hurt him." 

"What I do only depends on the things the kid does himself." Negan reached Carl and pointed the baseball bat at him. "You're one feisty omega, aren't you?" He softly knocked Carl's hat off with the bat, being careful not to scrape him. Negan never wanted to hurt the kid, and he hopes he never will.

"Just shut up," Carl told him, fear starting to curse through him. He just wanted to get this done and over with, not wanting to submit even if his body wants to do otherwise. 

"You don't fucking speak to me like that," Negan growled. "You should know better than to speak like that to an Alpha." Carl glared, anger making him feel a bit stronger. 

"Not like I've never done it before," Carl said softly.

"Oh, really?" Negan asked, genuinely surprised. "When?" 

"I was a kid, then," Carl told him, not really wanting to talk about it. 

"You are a kid." Negan raised an eyebrow. 

"A younger kid, I mean," Carl replied. "I left an Alpha standing there, speechless." 

"Who?" Negan twirled his bat around, waiting patiently. 

"I don't want to talk about it." Negan looked down at the tenn, eyeing him. He went down on one knee to reach the boy's height again. 

"Why not?" he asked. 

"I just don't." Carl glared at him. Negan smiled softly, feeling a bit drawn to the kid. Or maybe he was just drawn to the fact that this omega was trying to stay more dominant? Not trying dominant _him_ , but trying to stay true to himself? Yeah, that was it. Was it? 

"I like you, ya' know," Negan whispered to him, quiet enough that no one else could hear. "I hope I don't have to kill ya'." 

Carl thought of something that might fluster the Alpha. Thinking that maybe he could use some of his Omega traits to slowly ease Negan down. It could work, he thought. 

Carl smiled, letting Negan see some of his teeth. "You are never gonna be able to," he breathed, making sure his breath hit Negan's face. Negan licked his lips, wondering what the teen was up to. Was he flirting? Or using him? Maybe neither, he didn't know. 

"I hope not," he replied and got up and left without another word. The rest of the Saviors followed.

Carl looked down and smiled to himself. He knew he got Negan a bit uder his thumb. But now what is he gonna do? He already knows what his Omega instincts want to do, and he sure as hell never gonna be doing that. No way. 

He stayed seated as everyone else got up and got ready to leave so that they can bring Maggie to the Hilltop and go back home. 

"Carl, we have to go," Michonne called out to him. He looked at her, then stood up, only to fall down again. 

"What the-" he mumbled to himself, when suddenly, a huge heat wave came over him. It caused him to cry out and everyone rushed to him, trying to help him up. Some had to leave again, though, as the smell was just too much. Soon enough, only Rick and Michonne were helping him up. Carl knew what-or who-caused it. 

_Damn you, Negan,_ he thought. _I'm gonna kill you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 


	5. Gotta Keep Control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've been thinking about [Palyse](/users/Palyse)'s comment asking about Negan, so I decided to make this chapter about him. :)

_I don't have control over  
what actually happens  
except for that I have  
full control over my will  
for myself, my intention,  
and why I'm there. That's  
all that matters.  
**-SZA**_

The drive back to the Sanctuary was tense for Negan. He thought maybe it was because of anger and the stress about handling Rick and the rest of the group. But, something deep down told him that was not it. Or at least not most of it. 

It was that kid. That badass, brave, cute-looking kid. Negan couldn't keep him out of his mind for some reason. He shouldn't be thinking about him this much. He shouldn't. Hell, he didn't even know that damn kid's name! But he kept think about him anyway. Enough that he started to get a bit warm.

"Uh, boss." One of his men's voice knocked him out of his deep trance, causing Negan to suddenly snap at him.

"The fuck you want?" Negan glared at the man, then relaxed his gaze as he realized what he did. "Sorry. I'm just stressed. Continue."

"Um, we're back at the Sanctuary." Negan glanced out the car window and saw that yes, they were, in fact, back home.

"Okay. Let's get our asses moving." He got out and so did everyone else.

"How did it go?" someone asked him when he walked inside. 

"Fine," Negan replied and the man knew something was a bit off. People all around can definitely tell by the smell that was emitging off Negan. They were all lucky Negan knew how to control himself.

"Do you need anything, sir?" Arat asked Negan. 

"Nah. I'm going upstairs anyway. I need to think things out," 

"Of course." 

Negan dismissed everyone and went up the metal stairs and into his own bedroom. What he really wanted to do was screw one of his wives, but he was truthfully afraid he was gonna hurt them, and he didn't want to deal with that.

"What the fuck?!" he yelled, then threw one of his pillows from his bed. He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. He couldn't understand how the teen could've made him feel that way. Not just anyone, but a _kid_.

He knew that he had to stop this. He knew that this attachment with the teen has to stop. But he also knew that in order to stop it, he would have to hurt the kid. Not physically, but emotionally. He will also hurt his own damn self during it all, but he will have to take that risk. For them both, because he, for one, can't let his image be broken nor can he let people use the kid against him. And two, he knew he was gonna be bad for the kid. He was bad at love anyway, always had been. Nothing can change that. 

But how he was gonna manage to get unattached to the boy while trying to hurt them both as less as possible, he didn't know. It's hard to break that bond, and if done wrong, it can even lead to the deaths of both parties. He was gonna have to do this _right_.

\------ 

The smell. It was strong, and very intoxicating. Did he do this? Did he cause this? No. He didn't. He couldn't have. Except…he knew the effects things like that could do to an omega. He knew that, and he wasn't sure how he could control himself through the whole time he was at Alexandria. 

Negan had decided to go to Alexandria early, wanting to break the bond between him and the kid as soon as possible. He thought it out carefully, of course. _Very_ carefully. But he still couldn't wait. He just had to get this out of his mind. 

Now, he regrets coming early. He should've thought about this more thoroughly. An omega's heat lasts for about four days to a week at longest. It has been less than a week since he met the kid and it would make sense if his heat would go for the long-lasting route. 

"Little pigs, little pigs, let me in." Of course, he had to try to keep his posture, no matter how the smell made him want to take what was supposed to be his. He was surprised that he hadn't fully gone into rut yet. 

Most of the time at Alexandria went faster than he expected. They were just about to leave right after he grabbed his baseball bat from Rick.

"In case you hadn't caught on," he told Rick. The smell though… "I just shoved my dick down your throat and you thanked me for it." …Was it getting stronger? 

Negan did know that when the heat was about to end, the omegas tend to have a huge blast of heat the last minute. He had to get out of there, and fast. 

"Dad?" 

Negan froze as he heard a strangely familiar voice not that far away from him. 

What was that kid doing? Right in the middle of his heat and he just randomly decides it was _perfectly okay_ to just walk around like nothing was happening? 

_What the fuck?!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! Got this out and posted! Sorry it took a while, the holidays have been pretty busy as you might imagine. Hope you liked the chapter! :D


	6. You Don't Always Get What You Want…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, I got this out today! Thank you all for reading! Love you guys! :)

_Nothing is perfect. Life is  
messy. Relationships are   
complex. Outcomes are   
uncertain. People are   
irrational.   
**-Hugh Mackay**_

"Dad?"

Rick and Negan both turned to see Carl standing there, arms wrapped around himself, obviously in pain.

"Carl?" Rick asked. "What are you doing out here?"

"I don't know," Carl replied, eye watering. "I just wanted-" he stopped, looking Negan in the eye. Now he knew what he was doing out here. The answer was right in front of him.

Rick followed his son's gaze to Negan, then inwardly gasped. He understood now, and he didn't like it one bit.

"Carl," he said, "just go back to bed, okay?"

"B-but-"

"Please." Rick looked at him with a pleading gaze, wanting his son out of the open. He was there with other Alpha's practically surrounding him.

"I can't. I…I don't want to." A tear finally fell down Carl's face and Negan wanted to run and hug him, comfort him. But he stood his ground.

"Do you want to stay in your nest instead?" Rick asked him calmly, walking towards him. "I can help bring you there."

"I don't want to." Carl backed away from Rick, not wanting to look weak. He never wanted to be this way. He never wanted people to see him this way. He hated it. He wished it didn't have to be like this.

"What do you want to do, then?" Rick reached out and touched his shoulder. He was glad parents and siblings aren't affected by their family's heat. 

In an answer, Carl pointed at Negan, looking at the ground not wanting to meet anybody's eye. 

"No chance, kid." Carl's head shot up at Negan's voice. No chance? Who the hell does he think he is? 

"What do you mean?" Carl whimpered. Yup. He hated this. 

"I mean, no chance. Don't you have toys or whatever?" 

"No," Carl muttered, blushing. 

"Why the hell not?" How could these people be so careless? This kid was probably one of the only omegas alive to this day, why are they just letting him go without doing anything to help? How come he was even let out of the house in the first place?!

"When we tried to give some to him, he just threw them across the room," Rick responded, answering for Carl. 

Negan couldn't help but laugh. This was getting crazy. He needed to get out of here.

"I'm going to leave before you fuckers grow on me." Negan turned and yelled for his people to get ready to go. They complyed, but they still wanted to stay because, well, you know. 

"Negan?" Carl called out, and Negan stopped what he was doing. He sighed, then turned around. 

"What, kid?" 

Carl froze, not knowing what to say. "Um…can you stay?" _Damnit, Carl!_ he thought. _What the hell is your problem?_

"No," Negan said. Simple as that. No strings attached. Easy. So…easy. He never knew how hard it was to say that one word. 

Not even five minutes passed as Negan and the rest of the Saviors moved out, leaving Alexandria behind. 

Carl was just standing there, staring at the place he swore Negan was just standing at. Hurt filled him again. He never expected it to hurt so much when Negan just left him. 

"Carl," Rick said softly. "Let's get you back to bed." Carl shook his head. He didn't want to leave, even when random Alexandrian Alphas were slowly edging towards him. 

"Please, Carl," Michonne said, stepping in. "You can't stay here." 

"I'm f-" Carl collapsed, landing on his hands and knees. He could hear another Alpha growling lowly, but didn't look up to see who it was. 

"Yeah, we're bringing you to your nest." Rick picked him up, despite Carl's struggling. 

Him, Carl, and Michonne walked out of Alexandria and into the woods. As the few minutes passed and they reached his little nest, they didn't notice someone following them the whole way. 

"Here you go," Rick grunted as he set Carl down on little plush blankets. Carl immediately curled up and started to cry. 

"He left me," he managed between sobs. "He just left me." 

"I know," Rick said, trying to soothe him. Michonne thought she heard something behind them, so she quickly scanned the area. There was nothing she could see, so she turned back to the boys. 

"Why did he leave me?" Carl whined. "Why?" He sniffed, trying to clear his nose. 

"Maybe he just doesn't feel the same way," Michonne suggested. 

"Can I be left alone?" Carl asked, wiping away tears. 

"You sure?" Rick asked, unsure. Carl nodded, so he and Michonne walked away. Not be fore Michonne could kiss him on his head, of course. 

"It'll all turn out okay, I promise," she whispered. Carl smiled slightly at her before she walked away. 

Silence filled the air other than the occasional whimper from Carl until he heard a snap of a brach only a few yards away. 

"Hello?" he called out. He knew the dangers of if a stray Alpha finds an omega in heat…alone. "I know you're there!" 

More shifting. Someone was definitely there. But who? 

"Just come out!" Carl braced himself as he heard the fottsteps coming nearer and nearer. If he needed to fight, he will.

His eye widened as the figure came out from behind a tree.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized that these past few chapters have been _very short_. (Sarcasm.) I'm surprised I'm still updating this regularly lol. :p
> 
> Hope you enjoyed another cliffhanger!


	7. …You Get What You Need

_A true friend never gets in your  
way unless you happen to be  
going down.  
**-Arnold H. Glasow**_

"You have to be quiet!"

"Why?"

"If they find you, they will kill you…"

\------

"What the hell are you doing here?" Carl hissed at the figure. 

"I came to see if you were okay," Enid replied. She walked up to Carl and sat down next to him. "You're my friend."

"I'm fine. Just go." Carl turned away from her, and when he did, Enid sighed.

"Look, Carl. I came 'cause I have to make sure you're safe. I don't want an Alpha to pop up out of nowhere and hurt you."

"I get that, but I'm in a damn heat, Enid! What if something happens between us?"

"I'm a Beta, remember?" Enid rolled her eyes then sighed again. "I can't do anything anyway."

"I'm not worried about you doing something to me," Carl told her. "It's more like the other way around."

"Calm down, Carl," Enid said. "If you ever touch me like that, I'll smack ya'."

Carl laughed softly. Of course she would.

"What will you do anyway? Who knows how long this heat will last." Carl turned back to face her. 

"The fact that you're able to even talk to me like we're having a normal conversation right now, makes me think I won't have to wait long." Enid shrugged. "And anyway, I brought books." She pulled out a stack of comic books out of her backpack. Carl could swear that she had planned this out a while ago, but who knows? She always seems to have something helpful with her most of the time, definitely in that backpack of hers.

"Good point," Carl agreed, then sighed. "But I don't want to wait any longer!" 

"Too bad," Enid said, then she started to read. 

\------

"What's that?" Carl asked Enid for the third time in ten minutes. 

"Probably nothing as it has been nothing for a while now," she replied. 

"But I swear it is something this time!" 

"Riiiight, yeah. I believe you." Enid rolled her eyes. 

"Why don't you believe me?" Carl crossed his arms. He was glad that his heat was subsiding. Probably 'cause Negan was gone now…he didn't want to think about that. 

"Ever heard of the story The Boy Who Cried Wolf?" Enid asked him. 

"Yes, I am very familiar with that story, Enid." Carl shivered, remembering listening to that story time and time again when he was younger. 

"Good. Then now you know why." 

Carl groaned, then settled more comfortably in his nest. It was seriously his favorite place to be. He loved it. Definitely when it had his father's scent all over it. It was comforting. 

"Wait. Did you hear that?" Enid said suddenly. 

"Oh ha ha, very funny, Enid." This was Carl's turn to roll his eye.

"No, wait." Enid held a finger up to silence him and she sniffed the air. Now, Betas didn't have a super strong sense of smell than an Alpha or omega (and even both of those have different reasons for it), but if they paid close attention and they practice a lot, they can smell pretty well. So Enid, being well practiced of course, could smell way better than normal Betas. 

"Yeah, there is totally something there and you're not trying to fool me like friends tend to do." Carl closed his eye, wanting some actual sleep that didn't have him waking up every hour in pain.

"Shhh!" Enid hushed him. "You have to be quiet!" 

"Why?" Carl asked, seriously annoyed. 

"If they find you they will kill you!" 

"Enough, Enid! Stop it! You're making me nervous. You win okay?" Carl glared at her. She was truly freaking him out.

"I said, be quiet," Enid said. 

"But Enid-" 

"Shut the hell up!" Enid hissed at him, and that finally quieted him down.

Carl looked around them and sniffed the air. I mean, if Enid could smell something, then probably he can too, for sure. 

A few seconds passed before he finally caught a wiff of it. There was definitely something (or someone) there. His hopes poked up that Negan came back, but sadly, it wasn't his scent. Actually, there was more than one scent. Who the hell is here? 

"Are they gone yet?" Enid whispered to Carl, noticing he smelled it, too. 

"I don't think so," he whispered back. 

"I think they smelled you, so they followed your scent."

"How long have you known about these people?" Carl asked her. She shrugged. 

"Just for a little bit," she replied, still whispering. "But then the Negan problem showed up." Carl tensed when Enid said "Negan problem", and Enid didn't fail to notice. Negan wasn't a problem. Negan is beautiful. What? 

He shook the thought out of his head when he heard a very faint rustle. He didn't think Enid heard because she was still looking confused about Carl's reaction. 

"They're getting closer," he told her. 

"What should we do?" Enid asked, mostly to herself. 

"Let 'em come. We can take 'em," Carl said, making fists like he was getting ready for a boxing match. 

"They have three Alphas and two Betas. We only have one Beta and one omega. No chance." 

"I bet we can still take them." 

"When did you get stupid?" Enid asked him, rolling her eyes. 

"Keep doing that and maybe you'll see your brain," Carl teased. _Typical,_ Enid thought. 

"Don't you talk like you don't roll your eye a lot too. And anyway, no matter how much times you do it, you probably won't see any brain because you're an _idiot_!" 

"Well-" Enid quickly shut him up by placing a hand to his mouth. Not to keep him from throwing another insult, but because she swore she saw a figure right ahead of them. They must've missed that at first because of their arguing.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Five people exited from the trees and stepped into their view. Carl growled softly deep in his throat in warning. "One little Beta girl and one omega pretending to be and Alpha." Carl's jaw clenched at the man's words. Why can't these people get eaten by walkers already? 

"We don't want to do any harm. We just need Carl to finish his heat," Enid said, trying to cover up Carl's mistake. She's been watching these people for longer than she let on, and she knew that they didn't deal with anybody's crap. Actually, how they dealt with it was they slowly torture their victim then practically burnt them and ate them. It was disgusting. 

"How about we help him?" The Alpha speaking, probably the leader of the group, stepped closer to them.

Carl shakingly rose to his feet. "Bring it," he said. The Alpha only laughed. 

"That is so cute! Keep going." The Alpha quickly moved towards him. No. Not him. Enid. 

"Don't touch me!" she growled, kicking the man in his stomach. It made him pause for a moment, but he quickly regained his posture. 

"Leave her alone," Carl said. 

"Nope. So what? You an Alpha Protector now?" 

"No…" Carl blinked, déjà vu creeping up on him.

"Then I can very easily take her." The Alpha grabbed Enid's arm and yanked her towards him. Enid, of course, wouldn't go down without a fight. She struggled and swung at him, managing to smack him in the face. That was gonna leave a mark. 

Carl stepped up until he was face-to-face with the man. The rest of his people tried to walk towards them, but the leader raised his hand to stop them. 

"Let. Her. Go," he growled. He flashed back to when he was at the playground and he was trying to protect his doll. His doll. Boy did he miss his doll, even now. 

"Or what?" the man taunted him, but Carl can swear he can see a hint of worry in his eyes. 

Carl opened his mouth to speak when a booming voice vibrated through the trees. 

"What the fucking fuck is going on here?!" Negan. _Negan!_

Carl dropped his gaze with the man and turned to Negan, whick caused the stray Alpha to snap out of the hold the kid was keeping on him. 

"Negan-" Carl said, but got cut off when the Alpha tackled him from behind, stupidly letting Enid go. 

"Get off my friend, you bastard!" Enid shouted and kicked the man in the face as hard as she could, causing him to cry out. 

Negan, taking advantage of this, ran towards the man and threw him off the boy. Carl scrambled away.

"They boy is mine," Negan murmured in the man's ear, low enough that only him and Negan could hear. "And if anyone's fucking taking him, it's gonna be fucking me, you hear that?" They guy nodded, looking like an idiot. "Now I'm gonna let you off with a warning. Get you and your people's asses away from my boy and if you ever go near them again, I'll mess your shit up. Do you understand?" The man nodded again and Negan let him go. 

"Let's go guys!" The leader called to his group, and they followed him in confusion, not really getting what was going on. 

"There we go," Negan straightened up and swing his baseball bat over his shoulder. "Problem fixed." 

"Not all the problems." Negan turned to see who that was. It was the kid's little badass friend. Boy are these kids interesting these days. 

"What's that?" Negan asked her. 

"She said 'not all the problems'!" Carl glared at Negan. 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Negan asked, raising his eyebrow. "I saved both your asses and now you treat me like this? I think I deserve some respect. At least a thank you would be nice." 

"Thank you," Carl snapped, glaring at him. Negan sighed. He knew why Carl was pissed, and he understood. But the kid didn't understand _why_ it had to happen. Why he had to leave. 

"Just go home, Carl," Negan said softly, turning and walking away. This was why he had to be careful with breaking this bond. Once again, it was not impossible, but it was very hard to do. He had to do it, no matter how much it hurts them both. 

Carl and Enid stared at Negan as he walked away, in shock. 

_What the hell just happened?_ Carl thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was definitely longer than what I'm used to and I _still_ get it done today. God, the things I do for you people! xD Happy New Year, y'all!  
> 


	8. Your Choice, Your Decision, You Make the Call

_Telling a teenager the facts of_  
_life is like giving a fish a bath.  
**-Arnold H. Glasow**_

"You didn't have to be so pissy at him." Carl and Enid were on the way back to Alexandria, knowing that Carl's heat is done.

"What do you mean?" Carl kept his eye on the ground, not wanting Enid to see his face. 

"With Negan," she answered. "He saved you're life, Carl. Both of ours, but mostly yours." 

"He's killed others," Carl reminded her. 

"Not why you're angry at him, not fully." Enid stopped and turned to face Carl, putting her hands on his shoulders. "I know you're bonded with him. It's a weird bond because it's with _him_ , but you're bonded nevertheless." 

"You know?" Carl asked, blushing slightly. 

"I think we all know, definitely after that scene back in Alexandria when you ended up wanderin' out to the streets." They started to keep walking. "What was up with that, anyway?" 

"Well…" He hesitated. "I think Negan was the reason. But that doesn't matter anymore." 

"Yes, it does," Enid argued. "You practically love him now, you can't just go around denying it." 

"But what should I even do? It's wrong to love him." Carl crossed his arms, hating where this conversation is going. 

"Maybe it is. But you can't deny it. You have to do something, and that something will have to include talking it out with Negan and seeing what to do." She shrugged. "No biggie." 

"'No biggie'? Seriously, Enid? So what, I should just go out and find Negan and be all lovey-dovey on him or whatever?" 

"You really know nothing, do you?" Enid sighed. "I actually think he's trying to break the bond." 

"How the hell is that even possible?" Carl asked. 

"I dunno. But just think. You're in the middle of your heat and he just turns you away, even when you ask for him. Alpha's don't normally just refuse that. So I think even with just that, that he's trying to break the bond with you." 

"Let 'im," Carl said. "I want to break it too." 

"No, Carl," Enid warned. "It is very dangerous to do." 

Carl laughed. "So what? Our heads blow up if we do?" 

She chuckled. "No, but at this point, I think you would rather that happen."

"Why?" Carl wondered.

"You both could end up killing yourself by the stress, even if it's only him doing it. You have to do it right."

\------

"Are you okay?" Rick asked, hugging him tightly.

"I'm fine, Dad," Carl assured him, and Rick let go.

"Why is Enid with you?" Michonne asked him.

"She followed so she could keep me safe."

"Was there any trouble?" Rick asked.

Carl and Enid exchanged a look. "Nah," Carl replied. "No trouble."

"Just a walker," Enid added.

"Good. As long as you're safe." Rick and Carl hugged again. "You're heat's done?"

"Yeah. Thankfully."

"Carl, we need to talk," Michonne told him.

"'Bout what?"

"Negan."

\------

Carl paced around the room, obviously stressed. 

"Please stop moving around like that, it's making my eye twitch," Rick told him.

Carl sighed, then sat down. "So now what?" he asked. 

"We all know you're bonded to Negan," Rick told him. 

"So what?" he said. 

"We have to do something about that." Rick ran his hand through his hair, thinking. "But what, I don't know. That's what we have to talk about." 

"There's nothing to talk about," Carl replied. "Enid said she believes that Negan is trying to break the bond, and I say we let him."

"Why would he want to break the bond?" Michonne asked, worried. She knew how much that would hurt Carl, and she was afraid of that. She was also worrying about why Carl also wants to break the bond. Omegas usually wants an Alpha to take care of them, at the very least. But she knew Carl wasn't normal, so she kept her mouth shut. For now. 

"I dunno. Maybe he doesn't want to seem weak on front of his people." Carl shrugged. "I really don't care." 

"Why do _you_ want to break the bond?" Rick asked him. Guess he decided not to keep his mouth shut. 

"He killed our poeple, Dad! I shouldn't be with a person who killed Glenn and Abraham." Carl slumped down in the chair, crossing his arms. He acts a little more like a teenager than he thinks. 

"It's a bit wrong, but you don't come across mates very often," Rick warned him. 

"You and Michonne turned out great," Carl mumbled. 

"We got lucky," Michonne said. 

"So what? Are you saying me and Negan should be together? That's surprising." 

"We don't like it, but it would be for the best," Rick told him. "We think we could see what happens." 

"This is _my_ life! _My_ body! I can give it to whoever I like, and I'm not giving it to him!" Carl got up and stomped towards his room. Rick and Michonne listened, then flinched when the door slammed shut, hard enough to shake the pictures on the wall upstairs. Even Rick and Michonne could hear the frames rattle. Carl was stronger than they thought, at least when he was angry.

Rick sighed. "What are we gonna do?" 

"I don't know. But I don't want to see him get hurt." 

"Doesn't seem like he minds at all, really," Rick mumbled. 

"He will," Michonne told him. "As soon as it hits, he will. He's already felt it. He was pretty much sobbing when Negan left." 

"Good point," Rick agreed. "But we have to do something to stop him from getting hurt." 

"I don't think we _can_." Rick shook his head sadly, and Michonne hugged him. "Carl was right," she said. "It's his life and body, he chooses what he wants to do with it, for the most part. And anyway, do you want him to have zero consent if Negan ever changes his mind?" 

"No," Rick laughed lightly. "Don't see that ever happening, though." 

"Probably not, but it could." Michonne laughed with him. "We just have to see." 

"I just don't want his heart broken," Rick sighed. 

"Oh, trust me, me neither, but you know it has to happen sometime, Negan or not. It's a part of life." 

"Yeah. I'm just worried about him." 

"Me too, Rick. Me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! It might've been a bit more boring than the last few chapters, but every story has that moment. But I promise, this is building up to something big! :D
> 
> Feel free to ask any questions about anything and they'll be answered by the next chapter (I'll tell you if they will), or I'll answer them myself. Have a great day! (Or night, whatever time it is when you're reading this.)


	9. Love Me Like You Do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so soorry for taking so long! The wifi went out in my neighborhood (yes, the whole neighborhood. probably because of the winter storm) and it took a while to get it back, and then today I had to go to a Christmas/birthday party. At least it was fun! :)

_Never do anything when you  
are in a temper, for you will do  
everything wrong.  
**-Baltasar Gracian**_

He has to die. Carl has had enough with thinking about him all the time. He has to kill him. To end this.

Those thoughts were what made him end up in the back of one of the Saviors trucks. Jesus showed up not that long after, but he just wanted to see where Negan lives. The man wasn't looking to kill him, like Carl. 

"Making a trail," Jesus told Carl after he gave him a confused look when he started to dump syrup out of the back of the truck. Carl nodded in response. 

"We're gonna have to jump," Jesus said. 

"But…" Carl stuttered. 

"Don't worry," he reassured the teen. "It's not the fall that kills you. You can't fight it. The truck is going slow enough, we can do it." 

"Show me first," Carl told him. Jesus did, and Carl waved as he faded into the distance and disappeared back into the truck. 

"'Show me first'," Jesus scoffed. _That kid_ , he thought.

Carl grabbed a gun and waited, hidden behind boxes. He tried not to laugh when liquor bottles crashed onto the truck floor when on guy picked it up. That must be why Jesus cut the bottom of the box. 

"What the-" the guy who tried to pick up the box exclaimed when Carl shot him, then got up and aimed the gun at the others. 

"Drop your weapons! I just want Negan. He killed my friends," he said. "No one else has to die." 

Carl cringed when he heard Negan's whistle, quickly aiming the gun at him. 

"Shit, kid," Negan told him, grabbing one of his men and putting him on front of him as a shield. "Did you pick that gun 'cause it looked cool? I bet you did. Not gonna lie, you scare the shit outta me."

Carl quickly shot a guy when people started to come at him. Unfortunately for him, Dwight was able to finally hold him down and take his weapons before could shoot or hurt anyone else. 

"Dwight!" Negan called to him. "Get off him. That's not a way to treat our new guest." Dwight got off of him and Negan walked over and offered Carl his hand. Carl just glared at him. 

"Ya'know," Negan told him. "You have the same exact stink-eye as your dad, except it's only half as good because, you know." Negan gestured to his eye.

Carl growled under his breath, and Negan rose his eyebrow. 

"Are you seriously not gonna take my hand? That's just fucking rude. Also, at this position right now, you don't wanna piss me off more." Carl sighed, then took Negan's hand and let him help him up. "Good idea, kid." Negan addressed the rest of the people. "Pack up the stuff and burn the dead." 

"Wh-" Carl started, then Negan cut him off. 

"I won't get to screw any of my wives tonight." Negan paused. "Well, maybe just one." 

For some strange reason, probably because of stress, what Negan said went totally over his head. Instead, he asked, "What are you gonna do to me?" 

"First of all, kid, you're a badass, you're not scared of shit. Don't shatter my image of you. Second, do you really want me to ruin the surprise? Fuck you, kid. Seriously. Fuck you." Negan put his arm over Carl's shoulder and led him towards the Sanctuary's opening. "Time for the grand tour," he said.

\------

"C'mon, kid," Negan said, motioning Carl to follow. They both walked down a long hallway and stopped on front of the door. _This is definitely gonna do something to him,_ Negan thought with a smirk. He opened the door, letting Carl in. The view made Carl's eye widen. 

"Ladies, don't mind the kid." 

"What-who-" Carl stuttered. Negan chuckled. 

"I know, right? The women you're from to dresses like they take care of books in an auto shop. You're gonna want to stare at their titties. I won' mind, they won't mind, knock yourself the fuck out." 

"But who…" Carl trailed off in shock as he made eye contact with almost every woman in the room. 

"These are my wives," Negan replied. "Now you stay here, I have something to attend to. Make yourself comfortable." Carl's eye followed Negan as he walked towards two of the women. One of them was crying and Carl immediately felt sorry for her.

"May I talk to you, dear wife?" Negan motioned to the one not crying and they went to the side of the room to talk. 

Carl couldn't help but glare at the other women in the room. How dare they go with Negan. If anything, Negan was his. But you want to kill him, Carl reminded himself. But no matter how much Carl tried to keep it down, jealousy creeped up into his veins, slowly getting Carl more and more angry every second.

"Hold this," Negan told Carl when he was done talking to the woman, handing him a beer bottle. Carl sneered at it. He just wanted to throw the bottle at Negan, but he restrained himself, knowing full well it wouldn't end well for him.

Negan leaned down to talk to the crying girl. Amber was her name, as Carl soon learned. 

Just a moment afterwards, the man who knocked Carl down back at the trucks, Dwight, came into the room with Daryl.

Negan grabbed the beer bottle from Carl and picked up a green olive with a toothpick and ate it. 

"Carl, will you be a dear and grab the tray for me?" Negan asked. Carl grabbed the food tray from Daryl, making eye contact with him. Daryl nodded ever so slightly, just enough that Carl noticed. The corners of Carl's mouth twitched, letting him know that Carl saw. He was so glad they knew each other long enough to silentky communicate.

"Why do you have him here?" Daryl asked, shocking everyone in the room. 

"Whoa!" Negan exclaimed. "What we talk about when you're not here is none of your damn business." Negan gave a knowing look to the woman he was privately talking to, Sherry. That look made Carl think he got that from her or something. 

When Negan turned back to Daryl, he turned serious. "Don't make me put this toothpick through the only eye he has," he said. Carl cringed at the thought. He didn't know if Negan had meant it, or was just trying to make an impression. 

"Let's go," Negan said to Carl. "Dwight, get the iron ready." Before Carl could think about what he said, Negan rushed him out of the room. 

A few moments later, they both walked into what Carl thought was probably Negan's bedroom. Carl wondered what Negan did to his wives on that bed, but quickly shook the thought out of his mind. But speaking of…. 

"Are all of those women really your…" Carl trailed off. 

"Wives?" Negan finished. "Yeah. Always wanted to fuck a few different women. I mean, why would you just settle for one? Why follow the same rules as before? Why not make life better? Speaking of, why don't you sit down? Let's get started." 

"Started on what?" Carl asked. 

"I want to get to know you a little better, Carl," Negan replied. 

"Why?" 

"Why do you think? You're a bit special in case you haven't noticed. And also," Negan smirked. "You're smart enough to know that I will not let what happened slide."

Carl gulped. He had to admit, he was ready to die when he came to the Sanctuary, but he wasn't ready for whatever Negan planned for him. I mean, how bad can it be? They're still bonded, right? Negan can't hurt him too much. Can he? 

"Before we do anything," Negan's voice cut through Carl's thoughts. "I can't take this off my mind. It's like talking to a Christmas presant. Take that shit off your face. I wanna see what Grandma got me." 

Carl stuttered in shock, but was finally able to let out a "No." 

"Two men, Carl. Two fucking men. There will be a goddamn punishment, ad this is it. Part of it at least. Do what I fucking tell you. Do you really wanna piss me off?" 

Carl shuddered at the stern tone. Negan was using his Alpha voice, and no matter how much Carl didn't want to, he couldn't help but comply.

"There we go," Negan breathed. "Almost there." 

Then, finally, the bandage was off. 

"Move your hair outta the way. You don't have to hide from me. Let me see." Carl moved his hair out of his face as Negan leaned forward in anticipation. "Holy shit!" Negan exclaimed. "No wonder you cover that up! That is as ugly as sin!"

Carl teared up. His Alpha didn't like him. He didn't care for his feelings. Carl betrayed him. 

_Not your Alpha,_ Carl reminded himself. He really had to break this bond, and fast before he made a mistake. 

"Shit, kid," Negan said, noticing Carl's tears. "Wow, I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget you're just a kid. I didn't mean…damn." Negan sighed. The teen had him wrapped around his little finger, whether or not Carl himself knew. 

"It doesn't matter," Carl sniffed. 

"But a punishment still has to happen, and you know that. There is no getting out of it." 

Carl looked up at Negan from under his lashes, tilting his head a little to try to get Negan to let him off easy. 

"Oh, hell no!" Negan laughed, surprising Carl. "That won't work on me, sweetie. Hell, I might make the punishment even worse just for that!" 

Carl tensed and looked down at his hands that were resting on his lap. He tried, but it only made it worse. Maybe he should just stop trying at all. 

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. 

"Come in!" Negan called out to the person. The man came in. 

"Uh, you left Lucille back at the truck, boss," the man said. 

"Huh," Negan said. "I guess a kid machine gunning my people made me forget about Lucille, which never fucking happens." Negan took Lucilled from the man, shooing him out right afterwards. 

"Okay, okay. Enough of that," Negan sighed, sitting back. "Tell me something about you. Do you like music?" Only silence from Carl. "You know what? Sing me a song." 

"What?" Carl asked. Sing him a song? But how? He hated singing in front of people, always had. 

"You heard me," Negan told him. "Sing me a song." 

"I-I don't know any." Carl had to get out of doing this. 

"Bullshit. What did your mom sing to you? What did your Dad play in the car?" 

"I can't," Carl pleaded. "Please don't make me." 

"Ya'know," Negan leaned forward on the couch, "I saved your ass back at the woods. And how do you thank me? You try to kill me. I think I fucking deserve getting sung to. So does Lucille. She was quite upset that she wasn't able to make a mess out of that fuckwad that tried to hurt you and your girlfriend." 

"She's not…," Carl sighed. "I'm sorry, but I really don't wanna sing. Can I do something else?" Be careful what you ask for, Carl told himself. 

"Why the hell can't you sing?" Negan asked. 

"I get embarrassed," Carl muttered, hating to admit that.

"Really?" Negan raised his eyebrows. "You're a badass that is too embarrassed to sing? Sounds like crazy crap." 

"Please, just…anything else." Carl gave him a pleading look. Negan sighed for the millionth time that day. 

"Then fucking kiss me." Negan meant it as a joke, as some kind of sarcastic remark, so he was quite surprised when Carl got up and pressed his lips to his. 

Immediately, it felt like the whole world faded. All was right. Nothing bad was happening. This was how it was supposed to be. 

"Shit," Negan breathed when they parted. "You were desperate not to sing, huh?"

"I guess there is no breaking the bond," Carl said, sitting back down, defeated. 

"Yeah," Negan agreed. They both snapped their heads up to look at each other. So they were both trying to break the bond. Why is that not surprising? 

Negan sighed once again. "There will still be a punishment, Carl. Like I said before, you're not getting out of this." Carl looked down, blush forming on his face. He was showing weakness, and he hated it. Why couldn't he just be a Beta or something? 

They both paused when they heard static from Negan's walkie talkie.

 _"It's ready, boss,"_ the voice said. 

"You heard the guy," Negan got up. "It's ready." 

"What is?" Carl asked, standing up too. 

One of those smirks that Carl really lo-hates spread across Negan's face. 

"The iron," he said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I'm so sorry for the delay. But I had a longer-than-normal chapter for you this time! I hope that makes up for it. :)


	10. Scream, Shout, and Let It All Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, I made it! Happy Birthday to [Palyse](/users/Palyse)! This long chapter is dedicated to you! I hope you enjoy your gift! :D  
> 

_What we have done for  
ourselves alone dies with us;  
what we have done for others  
and the world remains and is  
immortal.  
**-Albert Pike**_

"What do you mean, 'the iron'?" Carl asked while him and Negan walked back to the main floor. 

"You'll see," he replied. 

They arrived on the floor, and for the second time, everyone knelt. Even Daryl, Carl noticed.

 _Should I kneel, too?_ Carl thought, then scowled to himself. Why the hell would he do that? Why did he even think about that? That was the most stupidest thought ever. 

"This is gonna be hard," Negan announced to the group after they got back on their feet. "I don't want to do it, and hopefully after this I won't ever have to do it again. But why do we have rules?"

"The rules keep us safe," everyone recited. Except Daryl this time. He can be confusing. 

"That's right!" Negan walked over to where Dwight was standing by the fire and he put on some gloves. Dwight took whatever he was holding out of the fire and Negan grabbed it with his one gloved hand. 

Carl just stood and watched the scene happen, closer to it than the rest of the people. His eye flickered to a man tied up in a chair, crying and sweating when Carl saw that Negan had an actual iron in his hand. The kind that you usually use on clothes, but Carl had a feeling it wasn't meant for that. In all honesty, he didn't want to know at all, but he was going to have to anyway. 

"Mark, Mark, Mark," Negan said sadly, referring to the tied up man. "I'm sorry it has to be like this, but you know the rules." Negan stepped up to the man and placed the hot iron next to his face. Carl immediately understood what was about to happen. He didn't want to see it. But he did. He saw all of it. 

"There we go!" Negan exclaimed. "That wasn't so bad, was it? Damn, the pussy pissed himself. Daryl! Come pick this up." Daryl started to mop up the mess and Carl just watched in disgust. "I'm done, Doctor. Do your thing." Negan turned to address the crowd. "Let Mark's face remind him of the rules. Let it remind all of you! I do not want to do that shit again. Follow the damn rules and nothing bad will happen, it's as easy as that." You are all dismissed."

Everyone went back to what they were doing before, letting the doctor take care of Mark and Daryl clean up. 

"C'mon, kid," Negan said, draping his arm over his shoulder. "Let's see what we are going to do with you." 

\------

"You're sick," Carl mumbled, trying to get the image of Mark and the iron out of his head. And the screaming. So much screaming.

"Hmm, what was that?" Negan asked, not looking up from the newspaper he was reading.

"Nothing," Carl said quickly. 

"No no no," Negan replied. "You're not getting out of it. What did you say?" 

"It doesn't matter." Carl crossed his arms as Negan put the paper down and leaned forward in his seat, clasping his hands together.

"What in the holy hell did you say?" Negan asked again, this time quietly. 

"Fuck off," Carl snapped, feeling brave. Bad idea. 

Negan quickly got up, so fast that Carl hadn't registered it in his brain until Negan was standing over him, hands on the top of the couch on either side of the teen Carl stared at Negan, trying to comprehend what happened while trying to get Negan's scent out of his mind. 

"Do not make me ask again," Negan growled, staring Carl down, trying to force him to submit. What Negan didn't know, though, was that Carl couldn't count how many times an Alpha tried to stare him down in the last few years. He was used to it at this point. 

"I'm not making you," Carl said calmly, not letting his fear and shock show. "You're making yourself." 

"Damn it, Carl!" Negan yelled, standing up straight and throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. "Why the fuck do you have to be so complicated?!" 

"I was born that way," Carl replied, feeling the sass coming up. 

"That was a fucking rhetorical question!" 

"A rhetorical question needs a rhetorical answer." Carl felt amazing, loving to see Negan ticked off. _Who's pushing who now?,_ Carl thought. 

"You keep doing that, I'll fucking hurt you," Negan threatened. 

"Will you?" Carl asked, tilting his head. "I mean, _ahem_ , excuse me out of my goddamn French but, did you just threaten me?" Carl stood up, emphasizing his point. 

Negan was speechless. What could he say? 'Of course I won't hurt you but please stop'? Not cool. Not cool at all. 

"That's what I thought," Carl said. 

"You need to understand where you are and who you're talking to," Negan told him, finally finding his words. "How will I make you understand that? I mean it. You tell me since you're so damn smart." 

This time it was Carl's turn to be speechless. Now what? He had no clue. Well, he had an idea, but he really didn't want to do it, but if it made him get out of this like it did last time, it might be worth the shot. 

Carl walked up to Negan and straight out kissed him. He had no idea what he was doing, wasn't he? 

Negan quickly pulled him away. This kid was going to kill him, slowly and painfully too at this point. 

"You're a bad kisser, you know that, right?" Carl pouted at him, blushing slightly. 

"Only my second time," he reminded Negan. 

There was a pause before Negan spoke up. 

"Kneel," he said. Carl just stared at him, making it seem like he didn't know the word or what it meant. "I said, kneel," Negan ordered again. Carl sighed then reluctantly knelt. 

A smirk slowly grew on Negan's face when he saw Carl submit. He didn't think the teen knew that kneeling on front of somebody was a huge submission, but Negan was humored by it anyway. Only one thing to do to let it be the full kneel. Carl was still looking in Negan's eyes, and it annoyed him. So he made a fierce glare, dropping his smirk for a moment. 

Carl looked down at the floor. Perfect! Negan smiled again. He wanted to tell the kid what he was doing, but evilly decided to wait to enjoy the moment. 

Negan looked up for a moment to see Carl's hat still resting on the coffee table. He reached out and grabbed it, placing it on Carl's head. 

Carl blinked and decided to look straight forward, which was a bad idea on his part as he went face-to-face with Negan's- no. He can't think about that. It disgusted him just thinking about it, but at the same time, deep down, he wanted it. Wasn't his heat over or something? It should be. 

Silence was filling the room as Carl stared back down at the floor, blushing a little. All was still and he had no idea when that would end. Though he didn't really wanted it to end. This felt right, like he was supposed to do this. Actually, he loved it. He never thought he'd like something like this. Wait a minute. This felt a little _too_ right. 

Negan laughed as Carl flung himself backwards, realization hitting him. 

"Damn, kid," Negan said, still laughing. "Did you really think that everyone knelt for no reason?" He laughed louder at that, having to lean over and put his hand on the coffee table. 

Now Carl had a full-on blush on his face, grabbing his hat and placing it back on his head and looking down to hide it. 

"You're sick," Carl repeated, this time louder. 

"I know, you already said that," Negan replied, wiping tears from his eyes. "Oh, so now you think I'm deaf? Seriously? C'mon, don't give me that look!" 

Carl brought his knees to his chest and let a tear fall down his cheek. I mean, Negan already saw him cry, why hide it now? 

"Damn it," Negan cursed under his breath. He didn't mean to make the kid cry again. Or did he? He thinks he did. The point is, he didn't think it was easy to make him cry. Or maybe it wasn't. Maybe it was something he said. 

"What now?" Negan asked, sounding more annoyed than he actually was. 

"I hate it," Carl mumbled. He rested his head on his knees, not wanting to see Negan's face. 

"Hate what?" Negan asked. 

"Everything about it," Carl replied. 

"About what?" God, how much times does Negan have to ask? 

"About being an Omega." Carl finally looked up at Negan, glaring. He didn't want to tell Negan anything. Why was he making him? 

"Uh…how could you hate that? No one ever really minds what type they are." 

"Well, I'm not no one." Carl looked back down at the floor, already tired of this. 

"I'm starting to see that." Wow, he was becoming very soft very fast. But he couldn't help himself. There was a kid literally on the floor crying because he hasn't accepted who he was. Negan had to help him. But how, he didn't know.

"Why are you so, so complicated?" Negan sighed, then sat back down on the couch in Carl's spot. 

"It's just baggage," Carl said, voice coming out muffled by his knees. 

"It's not baggage, Carl," Negan replied. 

"Yes, it is!" Carl argued. Now he just wanted to sink down into the floor and die. 

"C'mon, get up. I'm bringing you home." Negan stood up and grabbed a leather glove from the top of his bed, slipping it on. He'd been a teen once. Not a perfect time to be jumping for joy with all the emotional shit that comes with the package of growing up. Negan knew Carl might want to go to his family for comfort, and it was probably the best idea. He'll punish Carl some later time. Maybe. If the kid doesn't kill him first. 

"But I-" Carl stopped, realizing what he was saying. Negan noticed it too. 

"Oh, so want to stay? 'Cause I will gladly let you." Silence. Negan sighed. "Let's go."

Carl stood up, wiping his face with his sleeve. He was actually considering Negan's offer. But he had to go back. Definitely for Judith. But maybe Negan will let him visit his family and friends. He kinda wanted to keep an eye on Daryl, just to make sure he's okay. It could work. 

"Ya'know, I'm doing this for you, right? Lettin' you off easy, I mean. Just for you." Was he really? 

"You sure?" Carl still knew that Negan was capable of doing more, but he doesn't seem like the person who'd lie, surprisingly. I mean, he threatens people, but it seems to Carl that he only does that to get things done. 

"Yeah," Negan replied. "That's why I'm bringing you home." It was really nice of him, and Carl will never forget that, but he still had to be sure. 

"Really?" he asked. "Are you really sure?" 

"Yes," Negan answered rolling his eyes. "Now let's go." He walked towards the door but Carl quickly rushed over and stopped him by grabbing his arm. It didn't do much, but Negan understood so he stopped. 

"Um, actually…" Carl looked down and messed with his hands nervously. Was he going to do it? Was he really going to ask if he could stay? Will it even be a good idea? He still wasn't sure. 

"What, Carl?" Negan asked him calmly. 

"I…well…can I…uh…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, cliffhangers. Where the creator is like, "MWAHHAHAHAAA!" and all the rest of the people are like, "NOOOOOOOO!"
> 
> I hope you liked it! And if it was too much, tell me! :D


	11. Sweet and Sour

_Where we love is home - home  
that our feet may leave, but  
not our hearts.  
**-Oliver Wendell Holmes**_

"Can I stay?" Carl finally blurted out.

"What?" Negan asked in disbelief. He couldn't tell if he expected it or not. It didn't seem too surprising but at the same time it was.

"I still want to be able to visit my family, of course," Carl replied. "But I just…want to stay."

"Seriously? After all you've seen and how much times I made you cry, you still want to stay?!" Negan sighed and shook his head. Why is this so confusing?

"Oh. I don't have to. I just thought…" Carl looked down. Was Negan refusing him again? Maybe he shouldn't have asked. "Whatever. Never mind, let's go."

"Wait. Carl, no." Negan rested his hand on Carl's shoulder to stop him. "If you want to stay, we can. We just might have to talk to your family before they freak out."

"They will probably freak out anyway," Carl laughed nervously, relief flooding through him.

"Right," Negan agreed. "Damn, we'll just have to get you a room, some clothes, and a huge lock for the door."

"A lock?" Carl asked, confused.

"Do you know anything? When your heat comes we have to make sure you're safe. Hell, whether or not you're on your heat you have to stay safe." 

"I can handle myself," Carl said. "I have for this long."

"Have you really?" Negan raised his eyebrows. "How much do you even know about this stuff?"

"Not much," Carl told him, but then saw Negan's look and glared at him. He sighed, dropping his glare. No point of that now. "I was hoping you could teach me," Carl said, looking back up at him.

"How am I supposed to teach you when I don't even know what you don't know?"

"I dunno." Carl shrugged. "Improvise."

"Do you know about this?" Negan asked, reaching up and putting pressure on the back of Carl's neck. Carl hummed and relaxed, closing his eye. "It doesn't do much, just helps you relax and calm down."

"Hmm, it's a startling sensation," Carl commented as the world danced in colors. It was like he was under sedation at this point. 

He whined when Negan let his hand drop. 

"Enough of that," he said. "Lesson of the day is over, let's go." Negan exited the room and Carl followed. 

\------

Negan knocked on the door of Carl's house and smiled when Olivia answered. 

"Hello! May we come in?" Negan pushed past her before she could answer. Rude. Carl was going to have to teach him some manners. 

"Carl," Olivia whispered to him when he passed by. "Where's-" 

"Enid's fine," Carl said back. He knew she was safely at the Hilltop to see Maggie. She'll be fine. He hopes.

"Ahh, so," Negan swung his bat around mindlessly. "Where's Rick?" 

"H-He's out on a run. Looking for stuff for y-you," Olivia stuttered. 

"Great! So we'll wait for him," Negan smiled at her. Carl walked up so he was right next to Negan, smiling softly at Olivia to help her calm down. 

"W-Well h-he might not be back for a while. T-They went out pretty f-far." Olivia glanced at Carl nervously. He gave her a reassuring nod and she straightened up. "We're practically starving here." 

"You? Starving?" Negan chuckled, making air quotes while he was speaking. "So by 'practically', you mean 'not really'." 

Olivia turned around and started crying. As she sobbed, Carl turned towards Negan and pushed him slightly. 

"You asshole," he hissed at him. 

"What?" Negan said back. "It's not my fault you guys take things so seriously!" 

"Apologize!" Carl ordered, glaring at him in warning. Negan sighed. 

"Look, uh…" 

"Olivia," Olivia snapped. 

"Yes, Olivia. I'm sorry. If you want, since Rick won't be back for a while, we could, ya'know, heat things up a bit…" Negan trailed off, letting that thought rest in Olivia's mind. What Negan didn't know was that the thought also went deep in Carl's mind, and it pissed him off. 

After a quick moment, Olivia turned and slapped him right in the face. It took Negan just a moment to recover before he was grinning again. 

"I'm just 50% more into you right now," he commented. "Well, now that that's settled, let's do something." He turned to Carl just to see him looking away, an angry blush on his face. He sighed. 

"Now what?" Negan asked Carl.

"Oh, nothing," Carl replied. "Just the fact that you insulted Olivia, then asked her to go to bed with you, which, in fact, doesn't just insult her, it insults me. But, it's fine. You don't have to worry." Carl crossed his arms, making it quite obvious that it was _not_ fine. 

"Oh, c'mon! Can't any of you guys take a joke around here?! God, Carl. You must live a boring-as-hell life. Nobody can joke, nobody can make a funny remark…how do you live like this?!" 

"You done ranting now?" Carl asked, tapping his foot. Now he knows why his dad does that all the time. Stress. Stress can make you do terrible things. Like tapping your foot and making it a bad habit. 

"Yeah. I think so." Negan shook his head. "I'm sorry. To both of you. Now can we fucking move on now?" Carl sighed, then nodded. 

"What should we do?" 

"I think it's your turn to give me a tour," Negan said, smiling. 

\------

"This place is awesome," Negan commented. "Let's make spaghetti!" 

"Uh…why?" Carl asked.

"I like spaghetti," Negan replied. "And what a nice way to warm up the fam before we give them the news. Unless you have second thoughts…" 

"No, no! Of course not." Carl bit his lip. "I'm just nervous about telling them." 

"Yeah," Negan agreed. "Me too." Carl raised his eyebrows. 

"You too?" 

"It's not like I've done something like this before. 'Hey, greatest enemy, I'm just gonna take your son and possibly fuck him in the future!' Yeah, no. It just doesn't happen." 

Carl's mouth dropped at that. A blush spread across him face for the zillionth time that day. Why, and how, did Negan do this to him?

"What?" Negan chuckled. "News flash, you're my mate. What did you expect?" 

_Maybe some space,_ Carl thought. But Negan was right. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Hell, his next heat will be in a few weeks, that will probably be when it will happen. So, in embarrassment, he changed the subject. 

"Why don't we make some spaghetti?" Carl suggested, and Negan laughed. 

"Let's do it." 

\------

"So, my dad's your greatest enemy?" Carl asked. They were both nearly done with making the meal, Carl with the bread (handmade, may I add), and Negan with the spaghetti. 

"At this point? Yeah, I think he is. Even though he's a fuckin' prick." Negan mixed the pasta with the sauce, flinching a bit when he accidentally touched a part of the pan. 

"Who's gonna tell Prick the news, then?" Carl laughed, wiping his hands on his apron. 

"You, duh. You start it out, at least. He is your father…Regretfully." Carl slapped Negan's arm at the last part. He didn't regret his dad being his father. He was actually pretty proud of it. 

"You have no right to say that," Carl said. 

"Do I?" 

"Have you really tried to get to know him?" Carl already knew the answer to that, but he asked anyway. It was his turn to teach him something today. 

"Hmm… don't think I want to," Negan answered. 

"Is that so?" Carl asked, placing the bread in a small bread basket. "You have no intention or want to get to know him? You just… don't care about who he could be as a person? He will probably soon be your father-in-law." 

"Damn, I haven't thought of it that way," Negan admitted, turning off the stove to let the spaghetti cool down a bit. "I guess I'll try, but I'm not that good with people." 

Carl rolled his eye. "You don't say?" 

"Oh, haha, very funny."

"I'm done, how about you?" Carl asked. 

"Yup, done." 

They both set the table and sat down, food ready. Carl realized he forgot his apron and quickly got up and took it off and put it away. 

"Mind not down-to-Earth?" Negan teased. 

"Shut the hell up," Carl said, sitting back down. He smiled at Olivia, who was holding Judith in her arms. She smiled back slightly. 

"Can I hold her again?" Negan asked. He seems to be a bit attached to the little girl, and it made Carl laugh. "What? I just wanna hold her." Carl just shook his head then gave the go-ahead to Olivia. She handed the child over and Carl smiled wider when Judith giggled.

"She likes you," Carl commented. 

"Who doesn't?" Negan said. 

"Well, I hate you," Carl joked.

"I hate you, too." Negan chuckled. 

About ten minutes passed and Negan had already given Judith back to Olivia. He was very agitated with waiting for stupid Prick Grimes for so long. 

"Okay," Negan finally said. "I've had enough waiting. I'm hungry, let's eat." Everyone started to fill up their plates. 

"Olivia," Carl said. "When do you think Dad is coming back?" 

"Probably later today or tomorrow," she answered. "Him and Aaron went pretty far out." Carl nodded in response.

"Carl, pass me the bread," Negan said. More like ordered, but that's not how Carl saw it. He saw it as being rude. So he just sat there and kept eating until Negan sighed, knowing what he's getting at. 

"Okay, fucking fine. Please?" Carl passed him the bread basket. Negan frowned. He didn't like what Carl was doing to him. Making him soft and sweet. I mean, if that's the only way to impress Carl, he'll do it, but it was fucking annoying. 

They finished up, and Negan helped with putting away the dishes and clearing the table. Carl told him to do it, of course. One of these days, he's going to snap, he can feel it already and the first day of this isn't even over yet.

"Imma go sit outside and wait," Negan annouced when they were done. "You can do whatever, Carl." 

"I can always do whatever. It's my home," Carl pointed out. "If Dad doesn't come back today, will you spend the night?" 

"Hell yeah. This is my vacation home now," Negan commented. "Do you always get to do whatever you want?" 

"Yeah. Even more things when Dad is gone," Carl replied. 

"Is that why you tried to kill me today? 'Cause your dad is gone?" 

Carl nodded. "Yeah. So what? I sneak out a lot, too." 

"Probably not something I should bring up at the dinner table?" Negan asked. 

"Please don't," Carl begged. Negan laughed. 

"Would never dream of it." 

\------

The ping-pong was fun. For sure. Negan quite enjoyed the game, definitely as he was winning, so that was a bonus. 

But now that Spencer guy he was playing with layed dead, his guts spilled everywhere and blood on Negan's knife. It was quite a sight. Reminds him of a small poem he learned a while back, back when everything was normal. 

_Every death of a man is one man lost…_ or whatever. The poem might still be in one of the books they have back at the Sanctuary. He'll have to remember to check that out later. 

Negan glanced at Carl, who was staring at him with a shocked expression. So, he saved Prick's position as leader of this place and now everyone's pissed at him? Sounds like a fucking disgrace. 

"Does anyone want to finish the game?" Negan asked. He swung his baseball bat in a circle. "C'mon, I was winning!" 

Carl might have made him a bit sweet, but deep down, he was sour to the core. Wonder how that makes Carl feel…doesn't matter right now. Maybe later, but not now. He'll talk to him about it later. 

Then, suddenly, a gunshot rang out. More blood…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, the poem mentioned in here is not intended to be an actual poem you can find on the internet. Sorry…
> 
> Second, I know, I know. You are all probably like, "WHY do you keep doing these huge cliffhangers?!" Well, here's the answer: Just how the cliffhangers help keep you reading, the cliffhangers also help keep me writing. See what I'm going at here? So they help me get chapters out faster so you don't have to wait as long. It's a win-win! :D
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	12. Back At You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking a while with updates! I've been working late nights recently and I get very tired. Sorry. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

_Holding on to anger is like  
grasping a hot coal with the   
intent of throwing it at   
someone else; you are the one   
who gets burned.   
**-Buddha**_

ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO…

_"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away…"_

It has been a while since Carl's mom sung him that. But even so, he still remembers it to this day. He wonders if he asked, she will sing it to him again. He wants her to. He misses it.

_"The other night dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamed I held you in my arms. But when I awoke dear, I was dreaming. So I hung my head and cried…_

And he did. He cried, and cried, and cried. He cried for Sophia, for Dale, for Shane, for everyone he, and others, lost. Even his own sanity. He knew his childhood was about over. He knew what you have to pay in order to live. He knew about death, he knew about life. He knew.

Was he alone? Does no one else out there understand him? Well, I guess there could be someone. Maybe they can help each other.

Carl closed his eyes and layed back down on his cot, letting his tears slip away. After a few minutes of this, he opened his eyes and looked to his left. There was his doll, just laying there. It was practically calling his name, or so Carl thought.

He got up and walked towards his doll, scooping it up into his arms. He straddled it to his chest. He loved doing this, even when he knew what it meant. It meant that it was very likely he could be an Omega. Was he even ready for that? Did he want it? He had time to think about it. He hopes.

The boy walked back to his cot and sat down. He smiled at his doll, already relaxing. He was never going to loose this doll. Ever.

He wiped the tears off his face with his sleeve, taking a deep breath to get ready to sing the first song he's ever sung to it.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…"

\------

ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER…

A gunshot. Carl then knew that when people says time slows down, time doesn't really. It's more like you see and notice anything. You become more aware in the split second. 

He saw everyone's shocked expressions as the bullet flew and hit Negan. Carl could see as Negan winced, grasping at his shoulder. But… he wasn't dead. Thank god. 

"Fucking shit!" Negan yelled. A woman, Arat, tackled Rosita to the ground. She was the one you shot the bullet.

Carl tensed. He was very torn. He was pissed at Rosita for hurting Negan and causing more trouble, but he was also pissed at Negan for killing one of his people. Which made him think for a small moment: Who's side is he on? 

"You didn't just hit me, you fucking grazed Lucille!" Negan bent down to pick up the bullet casing, wincing as he straightened up. "This baby was handmade." Negan looked closer at it then nodded his head. The bullet was, indeed, made from scratch. 

Carl went to walked closer to the scene, but stopped when Negan pointed his bat at him. 

"You fucking stay where you are," Negan told him. Carl went back next to Olivia, glaring at him fiercely. He's already had enough of this shit and just wanted to go to bed and wake up and learn this never happened. Which, of course, won't happen. 

"Who the hell made this bullet?" Negan asked to the people ahead of him. He seemed to have momentarily forgotten about his wound. 

"I did," Rosita said.

"I am smart enough to know that _that_ is a lie." 

"Negan," Carl called out. 

"What?" Negan snapped. He was obviously pissed, and he didn't want to deal with a sassy teenager at the moment. 

"Why is that necessary?" Carl asked. 

"Because it fucking is. I can't have this shit happening again. Do you anything about leading?" Carl hoped he wasn't going where he thinks Negan is going. "Oh right, I forgot, your leader fucking _sucks_!" 

Anger surged through Carl. How dare he insult his father like that. Rick was actually a very good leader. He would do anything for his people. Not that Nwgan cared enough to get to know that about Rick. 

"I just can't wait to be living with you!" Carl yelled back sarcastically. Everyone looked at each other, confused. 

"Not right now, Carl," Negan ordered, then turned back to the group and Rosita. "Now tell me, who the hell made this bullet?" 

"I already told you," Rosita hissed. "I did it." 

"Arat, kill someone," Negan said. And she did. 

Carl watched as Olivia shifted so she was slightly in front of Carl. She was shot. She saved him. 

"No!" Carl cried out. He knelt down to where she was laying at, tears filling his eye, but not quite coming down. 

Olivia swallowed, then spoke. "Rick told me to protect you and Judith," she rasped out. Then, she was gone. 

"Ah, Rick. Nice to see you," Carl heard Negan exclaim. Well, sort of. "Damn, all this yelling is making me lose my voice."

 _Good,_ Carl thought. _I don't want to hear you speak._

"What…?" Rick trailed off at the sight. This was bad. This was very, very bad. 

"Well, Rick, what about a 'thank you'?" 

"For what?" Rick asked, glaring at Negan. 

"Why, this guy, Spencer, was trying to talk to me and get me to make him leader, so I got rid of him for you. Now, Olivia, well, her death was unfortunate but Rosita tried to kill me. See this?" Negan motioned to his bleeding shoulder. "She shot me. And grazed Lucille while she was at it. Speaking of, I still don't know who made this bullet."

"It was me," Rick offered with no hesitation. That's one thing that made a good leader, in Carl's opinion. 

"Really, Rick? Was it you?" 

"No, it was me," Eugene spoke up. He was crying. "It was me." 

"Huh," was all Negan said.

Eugene started to babble about what ingredients needed to make the bullet. Carl couldn't catch them all and the ones he did, he had no idea what those things were. 

"I believe you," Negan said to Eugene. "James, Arat, lead this man to the bench over there and wait. I still have something to attend to." 

Negan sighed, then glanced at Carl. The boy was staring back at him blankly. It was kinda creepy, Negan had to admit. 

"Just a moment," Negan said to Rick, then moved towards Carl. While Negan was walking away, Rick told his some of his people to help him clean up the bodies and get them ready for buriel. 

Carl stood up straight as Negan approached him, getting ready for what the man was about to say. 

"What do you want?" Carl murmured, just loud enough for Negan to hear. 

"I would totally understand if you don't want to come back with me anymore," Negan told him. He was shocked to see the boy smile slightly at him. This kid was weird. 

"No, I'll still go," Carl said, smile still on his face. "I'm pissed at you, but we'll work it out." 

"Huh. Okay," Negan said. "Ready to tell Daddy Rick the news?" 

"No," Carl replied. "But let's do it." 

Carl watched for a moment as Negan walked away. Most people didn't know this about him, as it was very hard to get him this pissed off, but Carl was the kind of person who'd smile to your face, but then fuck up your world behind-the-scenes. If Carl went with Negan, it would make it way easier to fuck up his world. 

Though, Carl had to admit, even if he wasn't real pissed at Negan, he would very much regret not going with him when he had the chance. One again, that brings the question: Who's side was he on? 

Carl took a deep breath and stepped off the porch, taking one last glance at Olivia, who was being hoisted up by a few people, and went to face his father.


	13. Let Me Go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D

_When a father gives to his son,  
both laugh; when a son gives  
to his father, both cry.  
**-William Shakespeare**_

"Rick. We need to talk. Inside." Negan turned and walked back to the porch and into the house, nodding at Carl on the way. Carl then realized he was better off just turning around and following Negan instead of walking all the way back over, just to turn around again.

Rick followed them both back into the house, motioning to his people to go on without him. He was confused. A lot of thoughts were going on in his mind. _What does Negan want? Is Carl okay? Is anyone else hurt? What are they gonna do to Eugene?_ The thoughts swarmed in his brain as he entered his house.

"We should sit," Negan said after a few moments of silence. The three of them sat down at the table, shifting to get a bit more comfortable.

"Where's Michonne?" Carl asked. He couldn't see her anywhere thoughout Alexandria.

"She's out. Probably hunting or scavenging," Rick replied. Carl cursed under his breath. He was really hoping she would be here for this.

"Okay, then let's just start. Carl?" Negan motion for Carl to get talking.

The teen opened his mouth, but then shut it as something kept distracting him. He stood up and walked to the kitchen to get a towel, coming back to stand next to Negan.

"What the hell are you-? Ow. Fucking ow." Negan winced when Carl pressed the towel against his right shoulder. "That fucking hurts, Carl. Stop it."

"This stresses me out just looking at it," Carl told him. "It's giving me a headache."

Negan sighed. "Of course it does. Are you just trying to buy yourself time or something?"

"No." He really did have a headache, and he swears that it was from the damn bullet wound. It was weird. Maybe it was an omega thing.

"Then get going," Negan said.

"Don't rush me," Carl snapped back. Negan just rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Just tell me," Rick said, bracing himself for whatever Carl was about to say. 

"I…" Carl sighed. "I want to go live with Negan at the Sanctuary." Carl felt relief flow through him when he said that. He finally got that out.

"What?" Rick asked. Did he hear that right? 

"Please, Dad. I really want to." Carl looked into his father's eyes, silently begging for him to approve his decision.

"Carl… _why?_ I mean, he just killed…" Rick trailed off, putting his head in his hands. "Why?" 

"Dad, you said yourself that we have to do smoething about me and Negan's bond. I think that _this_ could be the something." 

"I know but…" Rick sighed, then looked at his only son. "How do I know you'll be safe? I don't want to risk loosing you." 

"You won't loose me, Dad. Negan will keep me safe. And if he doesn't, feel free to kill him, no questions asked." Carl tried his best to stay calm for his dad. He was scared, too. This will be the first time he will be without his father. Carl had thought he lost his father more than once, but the first time he had his mom, and the second, well, he just wasn't ready to be without him. He still needed him at that time. But, does he need him now? 

"Wait, I didn't agree to th- OW!" Carl had pressed the towel harder on Negan's wound to stop him from interfering with the deal. This was Carl's job to convince his father, and Negan sure wasn't going to help in the matter. 

"This is what I want. Please?" Carl bit his lip, hoping to dear God that Rick would agree. 

"Okay, Carl. But you have to promise me one thing," Rick said. Carl nodded for him to go on, hope filling him. "You will still visit. Not just once a month, but regularly. Got it?"

"Yes. Thank you so much!" Carl exclaimed, rushing towards his father, dropping the bloody rag on the table in the process.

Rick stood up and hugged him. "I will miss you so much. I don't want you to leave." 

"You have to let me go, Dad," Carl whispered to him. "You would've had to soon enough anyway." 

"I know, Carl. I know." Tears filled his eyes. Ths was really happening. His son was going to leave. It was too early for Rick's comfort. How did Carl grow up so fast? He wasn't even eighteen yet! 

"What's going on?" The three of them turned to see Michonne in the doorway, having just come back from whatever she was doing. 

_Here we go,_ Negan thought. _Now this might just make me fucking cry. Just great._ It annoyed him how this alone made him tear up. He blamed Carl for that. (But why he did, he didn't know.) 

"I'm leaving," Carl told her, trying to keep a straight face. "With Negan."

"You're what?" Michonne asked, shocked. Carl nodded and Michonne rushed over to hug him. "As long as you stay safe." 

"That was easy," Carl said, laughing nervously. 

"Well, I knew you had to do something. I'm still a little mad about it, but really I'm mostly sad 'cause I'm gonna miss you," Michonne admitted. 

"I will miss you, too." Carl knew that this was goodbye. He didn't think it would be this hard, but he knew he had to go through with it. For them. "But I'll visit often, I promise." 

"I'll go get Judith," Rick told them. 

"She's upstairs," Carl said. Rick nodded, then left. 

As soon as Rick left, Michonne moved so she was in front of Negan, who had stood up while Carl and Michonne were hugging. 

"If you hurt him," Michonne warned him. "I will come for you, and I will kill you." 

"Whoa, hold your horses, Mama Bear. He'll be safe with me, I promise," Negan said, putting his hand up in defense. 

Rick came back down holding Judith and Michonne stepped away from Negan with an extra glare, just to make sure. 

"Here," Rick said to Carl, handing him the child. He held her, tears forming in his eyes again. He made sure they didn't fall. He didn't want Judith to see him cry.

"I'll be back, baby," Carl murmured to Judith. "You won't even know I'm gone." 

"Do you really have to go?" Rick asked Carl. 

"This is what I want to do," Carl replied. He was still pissed at Negan, but he still wanted to do it, to go with him. It would make it easier for revenge, anyway. 

"I love you," Rick told him. He hugged him again, and Michonne joined in seconds afterward. 

"I love you, too," Carl whispered, just loud enough that they could hear. "Both of you." 

\------

Carl finally let the tears fall as they left Alexandria's gates. Now that he wasn't near his family, he can let loose. He had wanted to stay strong for them, but now he couldn't handle it anymore. So he cried. 

Negan understood what the kid was feeling. He has had to say goodbye, and that time it was permanent. So, in order to try and help - and knowing Carl enough to know this - he stayed quiet. 

This was the worst goodbye Carl has ever had. He usually just didn't have a chance to say goobye as the people were just…gone. But this time, an actual goodbye happened, and he hoped it would not be the last.


	14. Only Human

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter I imagine the song Only Human playing by Rag'n'Bone Man. So you guys can check the song out if you haven't listened to it yet if you want. :)

_If you're in a bad situation,  
don't worry, it'll change. If  
you're in a good situation,  
don't worry it'll change.  
**-John A Simone, Sr.**_

"Now that I think about it, you left all your shit at home," Negan pointed out as they hopped out of the trucks when they made it to the Sanctuary.

"I have my hat," Carl offered. "I really don't care. I don't have much stuff anyway, and I can't even count how many times we had to leave on the spot so we couldn't take any of our stuff. I'm used to it by now."

"That's just plain fucking sad," Negan commented. Carl glared at him. He hated the fact that Negan thought of him as some kind of helpless little boy. He might have been a long time ago, but he isn't anymore.

Carl opened his mouth to say something when some of the Saviors shoved a man towards Negan. The man had a bag over his head, but Carl could obviously tell who it was. Eugene.

A man tugged the bag off Eugene's head. "Here you go, boss," he said.

"Hello, Eugene," Negan said, going back into his bad guy role. "Now what to fucking do with you?"

"Take it easy, Negan," Carl warned, arms crossed while watching the scene take place.

"Excuse me?" Negan turned to Carl again. The teen held his ground, not letting Negan get under his skin. Though it might have been too late for that. 

"I said, take it easy," Carl repeated. 

"We are gonna have a little chat when I'm done. Just stay by my side and don't try anything." Carl smiled slightly and took a small step towards Negan as the man turned back to Eugene. He had a feeling this was going to be a long, hard day. 

\------

"Go explore," was all Negan said after he got Eugene all situated. Carl stared at Negan in shock. Was he really going to let him off that easy? He bet not. There was always something more. 

"Okay," Carl replied and rushed away before Negan could change him mind.

The Sanctuary was pretty huge. Negan and Carl didn't go through all of it the first time, so some places were new to Carl. He even got lost once, but thankfully found his way without any help. 

He went practically all over the place. He looked in every corner and room, taking his time so he doesn't have to face Negan. 

As he walked down a hallway, he noticed he walked by a certain door he was purposefully avoiding. The only room he hasn't looked in (which was kinda weird as he looked in other people's actual rooms, but how could he know?). It was where the wives were located. 

He stopped on front of the door, contemplating whether or not to go in. Negan wouldn't mind, he thought. And if it was a mistake, he can just pretend he didn't know what room it was and quickly leave. 

So he took a deep breath, and opened the door.

"The hell you doing in here?" One of the women said when she saw Carl in the doorway. 

"Oh, uh, sorry," Carl mumbled and turned to walk away. 

"Wait! Don't go just yet!" 

Carl froze and turned back around slowly.

"C'mere," the woman told him. Carl closed the door behind him and walked over to her, making sure he stayed a few feet away, still analyzing the situation. "My name's Janet. What's your name again? I forgot." 

"Uh, Carl," he told her, looking around at the rest of the wives nervously. Negan probably fucked every one of these women, at least once or twice. That kinda ticked him off a bit. "What do you want?" 

"It's just…" Janet sighed. "We only have each other to talk to most of the time and we're really bored. Do you want to talk with us?" 

Carl stuttered, not expecting that. He really didn't want to talk with people Negan fucked, but at the same time, Carl didn't want to face Negan himself yet. So, he sat down next to Janet, causing the girl to get a huge smile on her face. 

"I understand that it might be kinda weird to talk to a room full of women when you're the only boy, but we - I mean I, want to make friends with you." Janet smiled wider, if that was even possible. Then, she lowered her voice to a whisper so that only Carl could hear. "I think the rest of them are just bored and want attention, but don't tell them I said that." 

Carl smiled slightly at her. His shoulders were already getting tense and he just wanted to get this done and over with. 

"Do you want a drink?" Amber asked him, already getting a drink herself. 

"No thank you," Carl said. Amber shrugged and gulped down her glass. 

"Do you have any siblings?" Janet blurted out. 

"Huh?" Carl asked, surprised by her outburst. 

"Sorry, I just want to get to know you. Any siblings?" she asked again. 

"Uh…yeah, I have one," Carl replied. 

"What's their name? How old are they?" Janet's questions already made him feel pressured, and he didn't really like that. But he kept a straight face though it anyway. 

"Her name is Judith. She's about two or three. We're not really sure." 

"Cool!" Janet exclaimed. "Who wants to ask the next question?" 

Hands flew up and Carl could feel himself sinking down into the couch a little. This might be a bit. 

\------

"What's your favorite color?" 

"Blue." 

"How old are you?" 

"About fifteen or sixteen." 

"Favorite food?" 

"Uh…spaghetti."

"Favorite animal?" 

"Deer." 

"First crush?" 

"Enid." Carl quickly covered his mouth. Damn these girls, he was on a roll and now they made him blurt _that_ out. 

They all giggled and Carl blushed. Enid had not been his actual first crush, that was Beth, but he was kinda glad he didn't mention that. He was about twelve at that time and Beth was seventeen, so admitting that he had a crush on her might be slightly embarrassing. 

"That crush ended when I presented, though," Carl told them, trying to cover his slip up. It wasn't a lie, he was an omega and she was a Beta, so that wouldn't have worked out. 

"Is she an omega, too?" Janet asked. 

Carl shook his head. "Beta." 

"Hey, I have a question," Amber spoke up. She had stayed quiet though the questioning, seeming to be busy with her drinks. "Do you have a mate yet?" 

"Why do you think I'm here?" Carl murmered. His answer caused gasps and a few whispers. 

"Huh. I just thought Negan still wanted to punish you or something," Janet admitted. She seemed to be the only one who was perfectly cool and accepting with that. 

"So what, you gonna go and fuck him tonight?" one woman snapped, glaring at Carl through piercing eyes. 

"Molly!" Janet exclaimed. 

Carl blinked in confusion. He didn't think people who weren't supposed to be mates with one person could be so angry when they find out that their wanna-be-mate has an actual mate. 

"Well, we aren't really mated yet…" Carl said. Fury spilled through him when he fully grasped what was going on. How dare they be all possessive with Negan? The man was _his_ and no one elses. 

"So? Just go do it already or I'll take him," Molly warned in a low voice. 

"He's _mine_ ," Carl growled, standing up. The rest of the women started to yell and fuss, some pissed about Carl, and some trying to ease the situation. 

"Okay, can we all please calm down?" Janet pleaded, also standing up. "Carl, let's go." 

Janet dragged Carl out of the room, shutting the door behind her. 

"I'm so sorry," Janet said. "Some of them can get jealous at times." 

"You have no right to speak," Carl snapped at her. "You're also his wife, and and don't think we're friends because of that." 

He turned to stomp away, but then Janet quickly stopped him. 

"Carl, please. You have to understand!" 

"There's nothing to understand," he growled, then pushed past her. 

"A lot of us have to be his wives, or things won't go well for us," Janet called out. Carl froze. 

"What do you mean?" Carl asked, turning around to face her. 

"We're just there for the benefits. Or because we almost have no choice," Janet explained. "We can stop being his wives, but even when he lets us, there's more. There's always more." 

She started to sob as Carl rushed away in pure anger. 

From walking, to running, he weaved his way through people until he reached Negan's room not too far away. When he made it, he swung the door open to see Negan laying on his bed, reading a book. It looked so normal that Carl faltered a bit, but quickly regained his composure. 

"We need to talk," Carl said in his best stern voice.

"Yes, we do," Negan agreed, looking up at Carl calmly. "But what do you have in mind?" 

"It's about your wives," Carl said, crossing his arms. 

"Jealous?" Negan teased, a smirk slowly spreading across his face. 

"No," Carl said. That was, in fact, a huge lie and Negan knew it. 

"Riiight. What about them?" 

"Why are you forcing them to be with you?" Carl asked, venom dripping in his voice. 

"I'm not forcing them to do anything," Negan said. 

"Yes, you are, and you know it," Carl argued. 

"Can you at least close the door?" Negan sighed. Carl slammed the door shut. 

"You manipulative asshole," Carl snapped. 

"Don't you fucking call me that! It's not like I rape them or any of that shit," Negan threw back. He set his book down after placing a bookmark at his spot and stood up. "Why do you care anyway?" 

"I just don't like the thought of people forcing themselves on others," Carl said, glaring up at Negan. 

"I'm not forcing myself on them!" At this point Negan wanted to just yell and throw shit. Why couldn't Carl just understand? 

"Well, it looks like it!" Carl exclaimed. 

"I-" Negan cut himself off and groaned. 

"See? You have nothing to say, so that means I'm right." Carl sniffed and Negan would have thought that was cute if he wasn't pissed off. 

"Shut the hell up or you're sleeping outside!" Negan warned. That must've done it as Carl immediately went quiet. Negan felt a sense of victory, but that was quickly demolished when he saw the look on the boy's face. 

Negan sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Carl, I-" 

"No," Carl interrupted. "Just…no." 

A tear slipped down Carl's face and he quickly wiped it away. There was never a day in his life when he cried so much as this one. 

"Do you really do that?" Carl asked after a moment of silence. "Do you really make people sleep outside? Like dogs or something?" 

"Of course not!" Negan exclaimed. "That's just usually what I say when I'm pissed. I would never really do that." 

There was another moment of silence until Carl just burst. All what happened throughout the day finally crashing down on him. He had kept it all bottled up as much as he could, but he was only human, he could only hold it for so long. 

Negan quickly rushed to Carl and craddled him to his chest, trying to comfort him. He knew it was a long, hard day for the teen, so he decided to let the serious talking wait for tomorrow. 

"It's too much," Carl sobbed against the man's chest as Negan eases them both to a sitting position on the bed. "Things are changing too fast. I'm leaving my family and friends for who knows how long, and I miss my baby sister and Enid and Michonne and Dad and everyone else and Olivia is dead…she save me, ya'know. She stepped in front of the bullet for me."

"She _what?_ " Negan asked. Damn, he didn't notice that. 

"Yeah," Carl agreed, looking up at Negan just in time to see him blink tears away from his eyes. 

In that moment, Carl then fully realized that despite him being hard and deadly, Negan was only human too…


	15. The Big Bad Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took so long! Let's just say last month was busy as hell with me getting sick, then helping my friend move, and other details I'd rather not bore you with. I'm hoping I can get my feet back up on this fic.
> 
> I'm thinking about updating every Sunday, how does that sound? :)
> 
> (Oh, and happy Super Bowl Sunday!)

_Effective leadership is putting  
first things first. Effective  
management is discipline,  
carrying it out.  
**-Stephen Covey**_

The morning sunshine was what woke Negan up. It was in his eyes when he opened them, making him regret doing it in the first place. It was like the light was purposefully trying to blind him in order to tell him to go back to sleep. Ha, he wishes.

Negan went to get up but was stopped by a small body weighing him down. It was Carl, his little broken, but beautiful, omega. The teen was softly snoring, mouth slightly open and a face showing he was in a peaceful state of mind. It made Negan wonder what the kid was dreaming about.

The night before, Carl had quite literally cried himself to sleep. Once he was in deep slumber, Negan moved them both in a lying position where Carl was resting his head against Negan's chest. It was pretty adorable how Carl shifted and nestled himself into a comfortable spot before relaxing again.

Negan let out a sigh then tried to ease his way out from under Carl, trying not to wake him. After about a minute of slowly moving, he finally made it, tip-toeing around the room to get changed out of the clothes he slept in and brush his teeth.

After he was done, he glanced quickly at Carl then walked out of the room. He wandered down the hall and went down the stairs to the main floor where most of everyone were getting breakfast.

"Hey, boss," Fat Joey called out to him. "We've got something to tell you."

Negan walked on over to the table Fat Joey and three others were sitting at.

"What you got?" Negan asked as he sat down. He didn't mind with breakfast as he didn't usually eat it, but he had to admit, it smelled so damn tempting.

"We found these footprints all around the woods near the Sanctuary," Fat Joey replied. 

"Wow, that's so fucking surprising," Negan said sarcastically.

"Hear him out, boss," a man named Kent said. 

"So, listen," Fat Joey continued. "When we tracked the footprints - and we only tracked them because the pattern looked strange - we noticed they went much deeper into the woods. After about a few minutes, we found a small camp set up. No one was around, but the coals in the fire pit was still warm."

"So this means…" Negan urged them on. He hated how most of his people just beat around the bush, never gets to the point. 

"I think we found another group. Small, but we have one!" Fat Joey beamed proudly. 

"Have anything to help us track their scent?" Negan asked, getting interested. He loved it when he finds a new group, it's always so fun. 

"We have one thing right here." Kent bent down a grabbed a piece of cloth and set it down on the table. 

Negan reached over and felt part of the fabric. Soft and smooth, very delicate. Probably a kind of handkerchief. 

"Nice," Negan said. He held it up to his nose and sniffed. It was… familiar. He thought hard for a moment, trying to remember where he had smelled it before. 

The Alpha that had attacked Carl and his friend. What the hell were _they_ doing near his Sanctuary? 

"What is it?" the third guy, Mark, asked, noticing Negan's uneased look. 

"Smells familiar is all," Negan admitted. No matter how much you might not think so, he really hated lying. But he couldn't bring himself to tell them about what happened in the woods, though he bet they were curious. 

"Uh, boss," Fat Joey brought Negan back from his thoughts. "I think you're kid is up." 

"My…?" Negan looked behind him in confusion. He didn't have a kid. He definitely wasn't a- oh. _Oh._ Negan forgot about Carl. 

Putting his normal grin on, he got up and strided towards the bedraggled teen. 

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Negan commented. Carl just glared at him, causing Negan to laugh. He seriously loved this kid.

"Fuck you," Carl snapped. Boy, this kid was definitely not a morning person. A way how they are both opposites. This will be fun. 

"Maybe someday," Negan teased, chuckling more at the blush that immediately spread across Carl's face. That was the best part, it will never get old. "Why don't you go get some food. The food table is right over there." 

Negan watched Carl as he walked towards where Negan pointed, thinking about how lucky he got. But also unlucky. This one will be hard to get past all the walls and boundaries. 

That was the only thing that irritated him, really. Not the sassyness (he actually liked that), not his empty socket, not how broken he feels inside, but the fact that it is obvious that Carl won't let him help him, not right away at least. He just hoped that one day, Carl would understand. 

\------

"Aw, man! Really?!" Negan jumped slightly at Carl's voice suddenly appearing next to him. Well, not really next to him, but in the room next to him. 

He turned to face the door, realizing that was the door entering the room where his wives hung out at. Why would Carl hang out with _them_?

He thought about leaving them alone, but when he heard laughter, he thought otherwise. 

Opening the door, he put on a huge grin on his face. In all honesty, he had no idea why he was like this. He just loved it, so he guessed it's just who he is, bad guy or not. He liked it that way, so fuck anyone who wants to change him. 

""What's the joke?" Negan exclaimed when he stepped into the room. Carl rolled his eyes, obviously annoyed at his sudden appearance. 

"What we talk about when you're not here is none of your business," Carl snapped. It seemed as if the peaceful moment earlier that morning didn't occur anymore. 

Negan sighed. Carl was starting to get complicated, and it annoyed him to high hell. 

"Why are you in here, anyway?" Negan asked, changing the subject. 

"Because I want to be," Carl replied, sass dripping from his voice. 

"I don't have time for your shit." Negan shook his head. He loved the sassyness Carl gives off. Hell, that's probably one of the reasons Negan is into him. But with it being used in that way, it can be pretty irritating, and right now, it was definitely annoying the fuck out of Negan. 

"Just leave me alone," Carl said, waving him off. 

"You shouldn't talk to him like that," Negan heard Molly say. He turned to her in surprise. She seemed to be very distressed about something. Now that Negan thinks of it, Molly might really hate Carl. Does that mean she's jealous? 

Negan grinned at the thought. It was hilarious. 

"You're a bitch, Molly. You know that, right?" Carl snapped at the woman. She just glared at the boy and he glared back. That caused Negan's smirk to drop and frustration to creep up on him. 

"Enough of that," Negan ordered. "You both need to stop trying to bite each others necks. You're not the fucking dead, stop acting like it." 

Everyone in the room stared at him, and he just stared back. He would never admit this out loud, but he actually never knows what to do in these situations. He just goes with the flow and hopes for the best.

"I don't care," Carl blurted out suddenly, and Negan froze, steadying his gaze on the teen. 

"What…did you just say?" Negan asked slowly. He noticed Carl falter for a moment, but then quickly regain his posture. 

"You heard me," Carl replied. 

Oohhhh, Negan was _not_ having that. He didn't care who this was, he needed to keep his people in line at all times. Unfortunately for Carl, he was now one of Negan's people. 

"Downstairs," Negan ordered. "Now." 

Negan turned and walked out of the room, hearing Carl follow.

"Look, whatever you're gonna do, I'm not gonna change my mind," Carl said from behind him. 

"Fuck you talkin' about? Change your mind about what?" 

"About how I feel about all of this," Carl replied. "We still haven't talked about the stupid Wife-System or whatever. And I'm just gonna put this bluntly, Negan; it's either me or them." 

Negan paused before the main stairs, trying to process what Carl just said. Him or his wives? What kind of ridiculous fucking offer was that? 

"I ain't choosing," Negan said gruffly. He really didn't want to. The choice was obvious, but how the hell would he break the news and make it happen? He needed time to think. 

"You have to," Carl said. "And that's not all. I'm still angry at you for killing some of my people." 

"Seriously, Carl? You _have_ to bring this up _now_?" Negan exclaimed. 

"Yes, because I'm tired of fucking waiting for this fucking conversation!" Carl shouted at him, bringing everyone's attention to them. They were right above the stairs in a clear view after all. 

"First of all, don't use that tone and language against me! Second, I need fucking time to fucking think. It's hasn't even been twenty-four fucking hours!" Negan had turned towards Carl in the middle of him speaking, giving him an ice-cold glare. 

"And yet, here we are now!" Carl crossed his arms, not dropping his gaze. 

Negan had to admit, the kid had a point. Not even 24 hours and they were already fighting. 

Now that Carl made that point, they fell silent. Actually, the whole Sanctuary was silent, awaiting the outcome of the situation. You could hear a pin drop. 

"Just…give me some time to think," Negan told the teen slowly. He then started to move back to where his bedroom was so he could get away from all the stares, including Carl. But right when he passed the boy, he paused for a moment to whisper into his ear, "Despite the circumstances, you talked back to me, and I will _not_ let that shit slide." 

He saw Carl gulp quietly and walked away, feeling a little more satisfied. 

"Wait, boss!" Mark called out before Negan could disappear. He ran to catch up with the older man, stopping him. 

"What?" Negan sighed. 

"I just wanted to say that we found some toys for some of the kids," Mark replied. "Some rattles for the babies, a Barbie, a few toy trucks, and this doll." 

Negan took the doll Mark offered to him, inspecting it. 

"I don't get why you have to show me this," Negan said, annoyed. 

"The smell is very faint. The doll is definitely pretty old, but despite that, well, just smell it yourself." Mark motioned to the doll. Negan brought it up to his nose and took a sniff. 

It was a bit familiar, but it was too faint to tell. But then he noticed something stitched onto the ragged clothes the doll had on. 

A blue string stitched on to form a "C".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked the longer chapter on Negan's perspective! And all of your comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. :D


	16. The Lost and Found

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fourteen more days until The Walking Dead starts back up again! Very exciting. :D
> 
> I hope you like this chapter. :)

_There are three constants in_  
_life… change, choice and principles._  
**_-Stephen Covey_**

2 YEARS AGO…

"Carl. _Carl! Get up!_ "

Carl shot upright in his cot to see Glenn yelling at him to get up. He realized he had accidentally fallen asleep while he was reading. He saw that he had drooled a little on the book, which annoyed him a bit, but he knew that something had to be wrong.

"What's going on?" Carl asked, trying to wipe his sleep out of his eyes.

"We're being attacked! You have to get up," Glenn explained. "I don't know how bad it is yet, but I think it's still pretty bad."

Carl scrambled up and out of his bed, quickly grabbing his hat, his knife, his gun and, of course, his doll. He never wanted to loose it.

"I'm ready," Carl told Glenn. Thankfully, Carl fell asleep with his shoes on, an old habit he was never going to break.

Glenn and Carl both ran out to the main floor and out of the prison. Carl could see Glenn was right; it was very bad.

The Governor, what the leader of Woodbury called himself, was there with his people and…a fucking _tank_. What the hell…?

When Carl listened in, he heard his dad talk about how they can all live in peace. During so, Daryl popped up next to him and handed him a rifle.

"Don't go shootin' just yet," Daryl whispered to the boy as he aimed the rifle. "You're dad knows what he's doin'."

So Carl stayed back, instead setting his doll down by his feet so she would have a less risk of being shot.

When he looked back up, he saw the Governer had Herschel and Michonne on their knees, with him holding Michonne's sword to Herschel's neck.

Carl quickly aimed the rifle back at him. He knew what Daryl said about his dad, but it was never bad to be prepared. Just in case.

His dad finished speaking and for a moment, it seemed like the Governor was actually considering Rick's offer. He had even started to lower the sword away from Herschel.

But then, suddenly, the Alpha's demeanor changed and he said one word that spread throughout the prison: "Liar."

The sword was swung and it hit Herschel. Carl didn't pay much attention to all the blood, instead he aimed and shot at the Governor, hitting his shoulder.

The chaos erupted and everyone was shooting and fighting. Carl knew Herschel was dead, but he didn't want to accept it. So he just kept shooting until he couldn't anymore. That is, until he ran out of bullets. 

"Shit!" he exclaimed and tossed the gun onto the ground. He grabbed his doll with his left hand and took out his handgun with his right, holding it up but not firing. 

"We gotta go," Daryl told Carl and they both ran towards the bus. 

"What about Dad?" Carl asked, trying to look around for him. 

"He can handle himself," Daryl replied. "We need to go." 

They reached to where the bus should've been, but unfortunately, it was gone. 

"Now what?" Carl asked, turning to Daryl. But Daryl was gone. What was up with everybody and everything just disappearing? 

He saw a shadow looming towards him and he raised his gun in that direction. Soon though, as the person stepped into the light, he saw it was his dad. He could tell Rick was very hurt, so he knew he would be slow. But he thought they could find a way around that. 

"Dad!" Carl exclaimed and ran towards him. "Where's Judith?" 

"I don't know," Rick answered weakly. 

So they started to walk, looking out for friends or enemies. 

Just then, Carl tripped over something causing his doll to slip out of his grasp. He scrabled around for it, then saw what he tripped on. It was Judith's baby seat. 

"No!" Carl yelled, getting up and kicking the seat as hard as he could. Seeing a walker, he picked up his doll and started to shoot at the dead one, over and over, even after the walker fell over, dead for good. 

"Carl, stop," Rick said, holding on to his son as he cried, dropping to his knees. At least he stopped, but that could still attract more walkers. 

When he grew quiet, Carl crawled over to the bloody seat and placed his doll in it. _Poor girl,_ he thought, referring both his doll and Judith. 

Another tear slipped out and he quickly wiped it away, not wanting to start that again. 

Groans started to get louder as Carl looked up to see about four walkers looming on top of him. It was then he realized that one, he had gotten too lost in thought, and two, his dad was calling his name, trying to get his attention to get away from the dead. 

Carl was about to grab his doll before getting away when he felt arms grabbing him and pulling him away from the walkers. And, unfortunately, his doll. 

"Nonononono!" Carl shouted, trying to get back to his doll. _His._ He wasn't going to loose it, he couldn't. But it was too late. Even as he kept pulling and pulling, trying to get out of his father's arms, he couldn't make it. The walkers, of course, just walked by the doll as it was't real, but that didn't calm Carl down. Let's just say Carl had a pretty huge imagination. 

The boy had to be dragged away, which pretty sucked for Rick, who was very hurt and felt like he would pass out. But he knew he had to make sure his son was safe, so he kept pushing on, no matter what. 

The doll and the seat slowly faded out of view as Rick and Carl got farther away and the walkers crowded around it (not really paying attention to it, but once again, not what Carl thought about). 

Carl had stopped struggling, knowing that it was now hopeless. What he did still hope was that one day, he would be able to go back and get his beloved doll. The doll that meant so much to him even after all this time. The doll that kept him going, even if it was just a silly old doll to most other people. But he never got it back. 

He hated his dad after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise that next chapter we will go back to the Sanctuary. Trust me, things will get interesting. :)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	17. Let's Go Back (Back To the Beginning)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY!!!!
> 
> I apologize so much right now, I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting! But, here we are now! I hope you like this chapter! (And get ready for some cuteness near the end!) :D <3

_Time changes everything  
except something within us  
which is always surprised by  
change.  
**-Thomas Hardy**_

"So…you're telling me this is Carl's?" Negan asked Mark, not really believing it.

"Yes, sir," the young man replied, sounding confident about his discovery. "Look, there is also a 'Grimes' written on the tag here." 

Negan looked at where the man pointed, seeing exactly what the man said there was.

"Well, shit. Why don't you look at that?" Negan still had doubts even though Carl's first initial and last name was on the doll's shirt. But even then, Negan didn't think he could deny it. "Where did you find it?"

"It was in this house a few hours away. We had to go pretty far back to try and find No-Name, so I don't know if that means the kid was at that house, or lived there before, or what."

Negan nodded in agreement, inspecting the doll closer. It was a bit worn down, but still in pretty good condition. He wondered how long Carl had it before he lost it, or if he even remembers the doll now. Well, maybe Negan could ask as Carl should be only a few yards away. 

But when he turned to where Carl was, he didn't see anyone. _What is up with this kid? Can he teleport or something?_ Negan thought. 

"I'll keep this then, if it's his. I'll see what he would want to do with it." Negan sighed, turning back around to face Mark. "Anything on the No-Name department?" 

"Unfortunately, we still haven't found anything. But we did get something on that group wandering around Sanctuary." Mark fished around in his pocket for a moment, trying to find something. When he found it, he showed it to Negan. It was a small necklace with a circle pendant hanging off black thread. 

"How does this help us?" Negan asked, confused. 

"We found a few more of these around the same area, but some were just the pendant symbol on bracelets or rings or just fabric. There were plenty." 

Negan stared at Mark for a moment, thinking. Obviously they had to have some kind of workshop or something in order to make them, _if_ they made them. They could just be used to throw the Saviors off in order to stay a mystery. Negan sighed again. There was so much to think about. 

"I'll take that one too and I'll see what I can come up with," Negan said finally. "And I'm not gonna be thinking about this on my own, I need more heads. Remind the rest of them that." 

"Yes, sir," Mark smiled, handing Negan the necklace. "I'll tell them. And good luck, mostly on the kid." 

Negan huffed a laugh, thinking about the literal scene the kid had caused. "Yeah, I'm definitely gonna need it." 

Mark waved goodbye and Negan turned to start the hunt for his little future serial killer. 

\------

Carl walked off in a huff, trying to get away from Negan as fast as possible. He needed to do something. Anything. Just something that didn't include anything 'Negan'. He could hang out with the wives again, but he really didn't feel like it, definitely with Molly's bad smell (aka temper). Well, maybe he could find Janet…. 

Problem with that, he had no idea where she could be. Maybe back in Negan's harem room, but didn't he just think about how he definitely did not want to go in there? 

He sighed, slowing down. There were still a lot of eyes on him as there were before he even started down the metal stairs, but at this point, he didn't really care. All he cared about was getting away from Negan. 

"Have you seen Janet?" he blurted out to the closest person to him. The poor guy freaked for a moment when he heard the boy speak, but regained his composure. 

"Negan's wife?" the man asked, eyeing Carl up and down suspiciously. Carl rolled his eye in annoyance, slowly starting to wish he didn't ask. But he nodded anyway, hoping that maybe the guy knew something. "She could be with Negan's other wives, but if not, she likes to hang out in the children's room." 

"Where is that?" Carl asked him. The children's room? There was a children's room here? That's something he has to keep in mind if him or his people ever decide to fully take out this place. 

"To your left is the stairs down to the basement hall. It's in the third door to the right," the man answered, pointing the way. 

"Thank you," Carl said. He was glad the man answered him and wasn't too much trouble. It was pretty nice. _Not everybody here is bad,_ Carl thought to himself, then walked towards the open door to the basement stairs.

This place was huge. Negan definitely didn't show Carl the half of it and Carl wondered what other secrets the Sanctuary could have. Hopefully that will keep him from getting bored for a while. 

It should, because as soon as Carl reached the bottom of the stairs, he looked up and the the hallway streached straight ahead for a long time. It looked about the size of a football field with doors lining the walls. There was one door at the end, but other than that, it looked like a dead end. But Carl didn't care. He liked exploring. That wasn't changed at all from his younger days. 

He counted the doors to his right so he could make sure he got the right one, though he only had to cound three doors. 

He took a deep breath and opened it, just like he did when he first went into the wives' room. 

It was quite the sight with kids running around and playing and coloring and doing who-knows-what. There was a lot of them, maybe about thirty or so, maybe a bit more. He now started to feel a little bad about wanting to destroy this place. 

Carl quickly remembered why he went down here in the first place and tore his eye away from the children and looked around for Janet. 

His eye found her almost immediately and his heart soared. She was talking to one of the few adults around who were probably the ones in charge of keeping track of the kids. 

He closed the door softly and tip-toed around the children and the toys, trying not to disturb them too much. 

"Oh, hello Carl!" Janet exclaimed, smiling when she caught sight of him. 

"Hey," Carl greeted her when he reached them. 

"Hey, so, Carl, this is Gabby, Gabby, this is Carl," Janet said, quickly introducing Carl and the woman to each other. 

"Hello," Gabby said, and Carl nodded as a greeting, smiling softly at her. For some reason that woman had gained his respect just as fast as Janet. What was up with him lately? 

"What's got you to come down here?" Janet asked Carl, bunching her eyebrows in wonder. "Did someone tell you to?" 

"Nah. Actually, I was trying to find you," Carl answered sheepishly. 

Janet brightened up. "Really?! she asked excitedly. "No one has ever came looking for me specifically before! Why?" 

Carl shrugged. "I just wanted to get away from Negan and I had no intention to go back to the other wives so I decided to look for you so we can maybe hang out or whatever friends do." That's what he did with Enid. They just hung out whenever and talked mostly. But that was their thing and he had no idea if Janet would like that or not as she was obviously a totally different person than Enid.

"We're friends?!" Janet gasped excitedly. "Like, _friends_ friends?" 

"Uh…yeah, I guess," he replied, grinning at her enthusiasm. 

"Yay!" Janet clapped a few times. "Can Gabby hang out with us?" 

"Of course," Carl agreed. 

\------

"I can't find him anywhere! Where the hell is he?!" Negan bellowed at the guards. 

"Did you really look everywhere?" one of them asked cautiously, careful of Negan's temper. 

"Of course I did!" Negan exclaimed. What, did they think he didn't know his Sanctuary? 

"Even the basement, sir?" another guard asked. Oh. Maybe not as well as Negan thought he did.

Negan sighed, annoyed at himself for forgetting about the basement. He never really goes down there often because sometimes he accidentally scares the kids. So the adults in charge of the children kicked him out. Of his own damn basement! He couldn't blame them though with all the crying the kids were doing. Which makes him wonder: Judith seems to be great with him. Why is that? 

"No, I didn't check the goddamn motherfucking basement. I guess I'll go now," Negan told the guards. They nodded and Negan turned around to go down to the basement. He felt sort of guilty for yelling at his men like that. Well, if Carl wasn't down there, and if he excaped, he didn't think he'll feel guilt anymore. 

But Negan quickly stopped thinking about that. He had a kid to find. 

\------

There was a moment of silence between the three- now very close- friends. They were watching all the children play, relaxing more into the peace the room brought, despite some of the yelling and screaming. 

"Do you ever wish you were a kid again?" Janet piped up suddenly, eyes looking far away in thought. "Like, where everything was all just innocence and play. Nothing could ever go wrong." 

"Sometimes," Gabby answered. "But I also think about what my experience brought. The woman I am now was shaped by those experiences, and I am pretty grateful. They changed me for what I believe to be the better." 

"Wow," Janet whispered, seeming to slip into the wisdom with perfect ease. "What about you, Carl? What do you think?"

Carl thought for a moment, remembering his childhood. He'd lost it so fast, became hardened so early, he had to really think about and remember what it was like. 

"I guess I wish some parts could come back, mostly because it feels like my childhood was cut too short. Heh," Carl laughed, "I guess it was. I just miss the peace that came with it. And the love. Oh god, the love. I could never get enough of it." 

"Do you think that could've been an early sign of being an omega?" Gabby asked curiously. "Omegas adore love and attention." 

Carl shrugged. "Maybe," he said. "I mean, I also gave off signs of being an Alpha, but that doesn't matter much now, does it? Though I have to admit, I _was_ always seeking attention. I was also pretty annoying." 

The three of them laughed at the thought. Now, it seems crazy, but it was still very believable. 

"Hi!" Carl jumped when a small girl suddenly grabbed his leg. He looked down at two big brown eyes and immediately fell in love. 

"Hello. Who are you?" Carl said softly and picked up the girl. She giggled as Carl sat her down on his lap. 

"Me 'ella. You?" The girl smiled up at him and he couldn't help but smile back. 

"Her name is Bella," Gabby told Carl, fixing the girl's mistake. Carl nodded a thanks to the woman then turned back to the girl. 

"My name is Carl," Carl said to her. Bella giggled and cuddled into Carl's chest. 

"Crr," she murmured, pronouncing Carl's name wrong. But Carl couldn't care less, it was adorable. He remembered when Judith used to say his name wrong. That, too, was adorable. 

"She likes you," Janet gushed, looking totally in awe. 

Carl liked Bella, too. He was going to blame it on being omega, but then he realized that who could possibly _not_ like her. 

"Bella here had lost both her parents years ago," Gabby explained. "Despite her age, she is still having speech problems. We believe it's because when her parents had her with them before the Saviors found them, they rarely spoke. So she started learning very late." 

"Aww, what happened to the parents?" Janet asked, a sad look on her face. 

"When they found them, they were both bit. Still alive for a few hours, though." Gabby sighed softly at the backstory. Some of the backstories of the kids made her very melancholy. 

"So where does she stay?" Carl asked, petting the girl's head. 

"She pretty much stays here. Me and the other adults here just take turns babysitting her." Gabby smiled up at Carl and Carl smiled back. 

So, that means she has no parents, her learning abilities are cut short, and she just lives down here in the basement. Carl made it sound a lot worse than it was, but he suddenly had this strong urge to just take the child and keep her. Like how when you see a lost puppy at a shelter or something and immediately want to bring it home. Now that was something he could blame on his omega instincts. 

Suddenly and unexpectedly, the door swung open. Everyone into the room jumped, both children and adults. 

It was Negan, and Carl couldn't help but roll his eye. Negan found him after all. 

"There you are, Carl!" Negan exclaimed, room still very quiet. It was like somebody pushed pause on a video and for some reason, Negan was still talking and moving. Not surprising, really.

"What do you want, Negan?" Carl called back. 

"I was looking everywhere for you! Also, I think I have a special surprise for you…" Negan grinned, making Carl shiver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> …How did you like it? Tell me in the comments! :D


	18. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lateness. Thanks for reading though! :D
> 
> Warning! Cuteness ahead! :3

_To be trusted is a greater_  
_compliment than being loved.  
**-George MacDonald**_

Surprise? What kind of surprise? Carl wondered what Negan ment by that, but then annoyance quickly overran the curiosity.

"What do you want, Negan?" Carl asked, rolling his eye and standing up. He crossed his arms and glared at Negan's direction, like he was trying to shoot daggers at the man.

"Feisty now, aren't ya?" Negan commented, smirking. He glanced around at the children who were all silent and staring at Negan like he had a booger hanging out of his nose. Negan sighed, shaking his head slowly. He would never hurt children, ever. He wasn't that bad of a monster. "Just get over here, kid."

Carl inwardly groaned, but gave Bella to Janet and walked over to Negan anyway. What else could he do? He was also still slightly curious about what Negan had behind his back.

"Now what?" Carl asked, crossing his arms, not dropping his glare. Negan grinned wider, knowing that glare would probably disappear as soon as he showed Carl what he had.

"Surprise!" Negan exclaimed, holding out Carl's old doll to him. Carl's mouth dropped open slightly as he looked closer at it and his arms dropped from their crossed position.

"Is that-?" Carl cut himself off from his sentence. He reached out and took it, scanning it completely before making his mind. This was, in fact, his old doll. The same exact doll he was given over ten years ago after school. The same one he swore to protect forever but then lost years later. This was his doll.

His eye teared up at the realization, causing him to look like he was going to cry. And he was if he didn't take control over himself.

"Uh… thanks," Carl said to Negan as he blinked away the tears.

"Yup, no problem." Negan smiled as he watched Carl hold the doll like he just got his child back. Then it hit him; Carl probably feels like he did, and Negan's realization made him see this situation in a new perspective. It seems to be that this is the one of the only omega-like things that Carl doesn't fight. Interesting.

Carl stared at it for a moment before sighing and walking back to Janet, Gabby and Bella. He froze in front of them before sitting down at his previous spot. When he looked up, he saw that Negan followed him, and he couldn't help but roll his eye yet again. 

"Looks like you have all the ladies hanging out with you now," Negan teased, smirking. 

"Yeah, jealous?" Carl said, raising his eyebrow, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. 

"Maybe a little," Negan replied with a wink. Carl just shook his head in annoyance, then turned to Bella, who was being bounced on Janet's leg. 

"Hey, Bella," Carl started. "I have something for you." Carl carefully gave Bella the doll, letting her take it before letting go. Bella looked at it curiously, then looked back up at Carl with a questionable look on her face. 

"It used to be mine, a long time ago," Carl explained to the girl. "I lost it, but I just got it back. Thing is, I don't think I can carry this doll around everywhere. Not anymore. I kinda gotta use both my hands sometimes, ya'know?" Carl chuckled softly. "So now I'm gonna have to trust you with this. I want you to take very good care of it, okay? Can you do that for me?" 

Bella stared at Carl for a moment, then down at the doll resting comfortably in her arms. She looked back at the calm, blue eye and nodded, squeezing the doll slightly. Carl smiled at her, feeling warmth growing in his chest. 

"Thank you," he said, glancing up at Negan who looked shocked and surprised, then to Janet, then Gabby, then back to Bella. "I trust you with this and this means so much to me, so please…" Carl didn't know what he was asking anymore, he just was. "Just please take care of it." 

Bella blinked quickly at him before smiling sweetly, making Carl laugh a little. 

"Carl," Negan said softly and Carl looked up at him, but not before noticing that everyone else had moved on already and only him, Negan, and the three girls were in this moment right now. 

"Yes?" Carl asked Negan. 

"We should go," Negan answered. "I have something to tell you." 

Carl sighed, upset that he had to leave. "Okay. Let's go then."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thanks for reading! I hope you have a nice day! :D


	19. Enemies, Friends, and Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, I posted on time, finally. :)

_If you want to make peace  
with your enemy, you have to  
work with your enemy. Then  
he becomes your partner. _  
**-Nelson Mandela**_ _

__

__

After Carl said his goodbyes to the three girls, he followed Negan out of the room and upstairs away from the basement. Carl reminded himself to explore more of the basement later on, if he ever gets bored. He was pretty interested in what secrets lie down there. Maybe he'll find buried treasure there or something, though he knew that the "buried treasure" was probably just a fairytale. 

Carl sat down in the couch he was in when he shot down a couple of Negan's men the day before. He cringed at the memory of sleeping in Negan's arms. Did he really do that? It seemed so long ago and he was already tired. 

"So," Negan started when he shut the door behind him and walked over to sit across from Carl. Just like before. "As you already know, I have to tell you something pretty important." 

When Negan paused, Carl raised his eyebrow for him to continue, and Negan sighed. 

"You remember that small group that cornered you and your girlfriend yesterday?" Negan asked. Carl rolled his eye. 

"Enid's not my girlfriend," he said. 

"Whatever," Negan replied. "But still. Those people are still out there, and not just out there, but here." 

"Wait, they're in the Sanctuary?" Carl asked incredulously. 

"Nonono," Negan quickly replied. "Not in the Sanctuary, but around outside of it. They are very nearby, close enough that we can smell them around the compound." 

"That's bad, isn't it?" Carl said, worry starting to seep through him. What were they doing there? What did they want? Were they looking for something? Him? 

"It's very bad," Negan answered. But then seeing Carl's worried expression, he added, "But we've got it covered. They won't get anywhere near my people. Especially not you." 

"But if they are a danger, wouldn't you guys have taken them out or something already?" Carl asked, knowing that with all the power and people Negan has, it should have been pretty easy. "I mean, isn't all you have to do is track them down then wipe them out? Or maybe take them in for questioning? The latter might be better, though." 

Negan sighed unhappily at Carl's words. "It seems to be way harder than you might think, Carl."

"Then maybe we can help," Carl suggested. "Some people in Alexandria might be able to help you find them." 

The older man laughed incredulously. He didn't think Carl's group would even want to help at this point. The idea was just plain crazy, it could never work. 

"I sincerely doubt it, Carl," Negan said. "They hate me. No, they _despise_ me. Who would want to help someone that killed four of their people?" 

"Five," Carl corrected, then continued. "If you guys learn to work together, you might be able to do it." 

"Carl-" 

"No!" Carl shouted, interrupting Negan. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He had no idea why he snapped like that. "Just listen. If we work together, we can find them, almost guaranteed. And if they're a threat, we can let you guys work it out yourselves if you want." 

"They probably won't even say yes to that," Negan pointed out. "How would you convince them?" 

"I'll find some kind of way," Carl said. Negan shook his head sadly. 

"Good luck with that," he mumbled. Then he sighed, pressing his thumbs against his temples. "Jesus fucking Christ, this is stress I don't need. First the stress with No-Name, and now this. I'm getting too old for this shit." 

Carl snickered a little at the age thing, but then froze as he registered what Negan said before that. 

"Who's No-Name?" Carl asked curiously. He got more confused when Negan's head jerked up to look at Carl with wide eyes, as if he wasn't supposed to say that. 

"You shouldn't have heard that," Negan said with a tint of panic in his voice. "And I shouldn't have said that. I'm an idiot."

"Who is that?" Carl repeated, getting a little more urgent. 

"Look, if I wanted you to know, I would have said the person's name," Negan pointed out. "I was an idiot, so please stop asking." 

"Is it another group?" Carl asked despite what Negan just told him. "Are you having problems with them? How big of a group is it? Or is it just one person?" He started to get more and more excited. This was a mystery, and he liked mysteries. 

"They are my friend," Negan told Carl. "But enough asking. Just pretend I didn't say anything." 

Carl groaned in exasperation. "Damn it, Negan! You can't do that!" 

"Do what?" Negan asked. 

"Say something so secretive then deny it like it's nothing! It's really unfair." Carl was pouting, and he knew that, but he knew that this will drive him crazy for the next who-knows-how-long. 

"Well, it really doesn't matter," Negan said, waving his hand dismissively and leaning back in his seat. 

"Then it shouldn't matter if you tell me," Carl replied, stubbornly crossing his arms. 

"Your room if three doors from mine across the hallway," Negan said blankly. He got up and grabbed a random book from the mini bookshelf and sat down on his bed, starting to read it. At least, it looked like he was reading it. 

'Seriously?' Carl mouthed. He sighed then got up to walk out of the room. 

Obviously the conversation was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Tell me what you think! :D


	20. The Basement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter, I hope you're safe during this quarantine! I hope ya'll enjoy this chapter! Things are getting interesting… :D
> 
> (So sad there won't be more TWD for a while. First Sunday without it. So sad. But we can still watch reruns and read fanfics and all that!)

_History is a gallery of pictures  
in which there are few  
originals and many copies.  
**-Alexis de Tocqueville**_

Carl makes a face when he takes a bite of the bacon he grabbed from the food table the next morning. The bacon tasted… different from the other bacon he ate the morning before. Maybe they found a different oil to cook it with, or made it a different way? Maybe it was a different kind of pig. He had no idea what happened, but he was hungry so he ate it anyway. 

When Carl finished his meal, he tossed his scraps away in the trash and put the plate in the dirty dish pile. He realized that he didn't get anything to drink so he just grabbed a clean cup and filled it with water. 

"Good morning." Carl turns and surprisingly sees Gabby next to him reaching for a cup. She was still in her pajamas and had a bit of bed head, so he guessed that she just woke up a little while ago. Or maybe she was just very comfortable. 

"Morning," Carl replied, giving her a small smile. "How did you sleep?" 

"I slept pretty good, thanks," she said. She takes a sip from her water. "How about you?" 

"Fine." Carl did sleep pretty good after he stopped mulling about what Negan told him before. It was still confusing. 

"Bella's been asking for you, ya'know," Gabby told him. 

"Really?" Carl asked. He thought it was pretty sweet that she was asking for him. He must have had a really good impression on her. 

"Yup," Gabby nodded. "She's just been chanting your name over and over like she worshipped you." 

Carl laughed at that. "I'll make sure I visit her sometime today, then."

"You should," Gabby agreed, then they said their goodbyes for now and they parted ways.

A few hours after breakfast he did go down to the basement to see Bella. She was excited to see him and was immediately asking for his attention. He stayed with her for a few more hours, then left to go find Negan. 

When he did, he noticed that Negan was purposefully ignoring him, which pissed Carl off. He couldn't just keep Carl hanging like that then ignore him for the rest of the day! But he did. 

Carl was able to keep busy during the day then next thing he knew, it was time for bed.

The next day started out the same: He eats breakfast, he visits Bella and talks to Janet and Gabby, and Negan ignores him. Except now, Carl was bored. He pretty much had nothing to do since Negan didn't really give out much instruction about what he should be doing throughout the day.

Thankfully, he had a pretty good idea what what to do next, thanks to his exploring a few days prior. 

Carl excitedly trudged down the basement stairs and stopped on front of the first door to the right. He took a deep breath and slowly opened the door. Looking around, he saw that it was mostly a storage room. Boring. But he might look for anything interesting in the storage piles. 

After a bit of digging, he only found socks, a broken cell phone, and stacks of notebooks. Nothing fun, though he could use the notebooks sometime to doodle in them or something. It's not like anyone were using them or anything. 

He moved on to the next door and found that it was also a storage room. So he moved on again. This time, though, he saw that in the next door was sort of a closet. It had these different color buisiness suites, all of these various sizes and shades. Who put those in there and what were they for? Carl wondered. They were pretty dusty, so Carl thought that it's probably been a while since anyone wore them. 

He closed the door and moved on, making sure he skipped the daycare room because he's not going there again today and he knew that if he went in, he'd probably get distracted from his exploring. 

The next door was a little more fun; it was an old, dusty office. Carl walked in and started to go through drawers. He found a bunch of erasers and pencils, but in one drawer was a stack of information papers. Carl skimmed through them until he found a familiar name signed on the bottom of one of them: 

_Negan._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter! Be safe! :)


	21. Shit Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry about the delay! The days just fade into the next then next thing I know, it's a million Sundays later and I'm due for a lot of chapters. Unfortunately or you guys, I'm not going to do 1 million chapters, but after this one I'm going to post another soon after. (Like, less than a week from now!)
> 
> I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)

_Humor is perhaps a sense of  
intellectual perspective: an  
awareness that some things  
are really important, others  
are not; and that the two kinds  
are most oddly jumbled in  
everyday affairs.  
**-Christopher Morley**_  


Back up in his room, Carl spread the two papers with Negan's name signed on it on his bed, which he was sitting on. They were both about two different things: One looked like the one where Negan signed his ownership for the Sanctuary, which probably meant the place was his before the world went to shit. Interesting.

The other one looked like it was mostly blank, and it confused Carl. So he read the whole thing, word by word, despite the fact that he thought is was most likely going to be pretty boring at first. Surprisingly, it wasn't.

_You have to swear not to show this to anyone. Your life depends on it. ___

The first two sentences made Carl a bit excited. Who wouldn't be when you're reading something you're not supposed to? Carl continued.

 _On December 16 this year, we will meet at the Main Building. Is this okay, yes or no?_ Negan had filled in the box for 'yes'.

Why would they meet in the middle of December? Wouldn't it be freezing? Carl wondered. Or maybe that's the point.

Then there was a huge empty space all through the middle of the page until the bottom, where Negan's name was signed.

Carl sighed, disappointed that he didn't have more information than that. He got up and hid the two papers in a drawer in his desk, making sure they were under a few magazines that were also in there. 

He should find Negan and ask about the papers. Well, at least the one. He pretty much understands what the first one was, and it was really boring to him, so he might not mention that one. If he does mention the other one, will Negan take it from him? Will he even answer his questions? Given how Negan told him nothing about No-Name, he was most likely not going to tell him about this. Damnit! Carl will have to go with a different approach. 

\------

"Hey, Carl," Negan called to him when Carl finally finds the man outside the back of the Sanctuary. He jogged over to him, a questioning look on his face.

"I need your opinion on something," Negan said to him, turning towards a certain spot that he was next to. He points at something in the dirt. "Tell me if this spot smells familiar." 

Carl looked at Negan with a weirded out look. Carl had no idea what exactly he was supposed to be smelling. It could be shit for all he knew. 

After a moments hesitation he leaned forward and took a deep sniff. It did smell familiar, but at the same time, totally different.

"I believe so," Carl told Negan, standing up straight. "Why?" 

"I think this was left by the group that attacked you," Negan suggested. 

"But it's just a small pile of dirt." It can not be what he thinks it is. 

"Yeah," Negan agreed with a hearty laugh. "I think someone dug a small hole and took a shit in it, covering it up afterwards." 

"And you just made me…?" Carl trailed off, disgust showing on his face. That's why there was a different tang to the smell. 

"Yup!" Negan laughed lounder, unable to help himself. It was fucking funny in his opinion. 

"You know the person's smell, why didn't you…?" Carl was still at loss for words. 

"'Cause I didn't want to stick my nose in a pile of shit, of course!" 

"You're an asshole," Carl snapped, turning around to leave.

"Aw, c'mon, Carl!" Negan shouted after him. "It was all fun and games, this could really be helpful!"

Carl just flipped him off instead, not looking back. Screw the papers, he'll ask Negan questions when he calms down again. 

"If you really want to help, you would stay," Negan called out to him. Carl paused in his steps. Damn Negan to hell for knowing him enough to push his buttons like that. To convince Carl to do what he wants. But hell, Carl can't walk away from that. 

Carl turned back around and stormed his way back to Negan. 

"You win this time, asshole," Carl hissed at him. Negan just smirked. 

"Cool, I like winning," Negan taunted. Carl seethed. "I don't get why you're so angry, anyway. It was just a small joke." 

"You tricked me into smelling someone's shit. Of course I'm angry." 

"Yeah, you're a little _too_ angry," Negan pointed out. Carl breathed slowly. He needed to calm down if he didn't want to mentally blow up. 

"What do you want me to do?" Carl sighed, giving in. Negan smiled, glad Carl's helping him. 

"Just see if you can find any scent points,*" Negan told him. 

"What are _you_ gonna do?" Carl asked before Negan walked away. 

"I'm getting your little tracker," Negan answers, turning to leave. Carl's what? 

"Who?" Carl called to Negan. 

"Daryl, of course," Negan replied over his shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Scent points: (In my Omegaverse.) Places where a certain scent is more noticeable. In case you didn't get that lol. Sorry.
> 
> I hope you liked the chapter! Next one very soon! :)


	22. A Hole In The Gate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, ya'll! I hope you're being safe and that you will enjoy this chapter. Thanks for reading! :D

Negan's bringing out Daryl?! Carl thought excitedly. Though when you say it that way, it makes Daryl sound like an animal. Whatever.

That news made Carl's sour mood turn bright. It's been a while since he's seen Daryl. He just hoped that nothing will go wrong.

After a few minutes of sniffing around the area (how did the people get that close to the Sanctuary?), he saw Negan come out with Daryl in tow. What surprised Carl the most was the fact that not one guard was with them and Daryl was just walking nonchalantly next to Negan like there was nothing wrong. Daryl still had on the dirty jumpsuit outfit, but other than that, everything was fine. Which made it even more suspicious.

"Hey," Carl greeted them. Mostly Daryl, but he wouldn't tell Negan that. Daryl nodded once as a reply. 

"Find anything?" Negan asked Carl. 

"Only one other shit hole," Carl replied. Negan laughed, making Carl shake his head. "You know what I mean." 

"Yeah, I do. Still funny, though." Negan chuckled. Carl felt the urge to tell him that he was also a shit hole, but refrained, knowing that Negan probably already knew that long ago. 

"Can we move on from this?" Carl pleaded. He just wanted to talk to Daryl. 

"Fine," Negan relented. He turned to Daryl. "I need you to see if you can track the scent as far as possible. Carl, you can keep finding scent points." This could be the perfect opening to chat with Daryl. 

Daryl nodded again then turned his attention to Carl. "Where's the scent point?" he asked the teen. Carl leads Daryl to the one he found. 

"It's only a scent point because there is shit under the dirt, but whatever," Carl commented. Daryl snorted in response. 

"I think it's strange that whoever it is got close enough to the Sanctuary to take a damn shit," Daryl pointed out. Carl nodded in agreement. 

"You would think someone would see them," Carl replied. "I mean, there's more than one of them. Unless they came one at a time or something. Even then, they shouldn't get through!" 

"Wait." Daryl paused, taking in Carl 's words. "There's more than one?" 

"Um…yeah?" Carl looked at Daryl, confused. How much did Daryl really know? 

"Well, that makes more sense," Daryl grunted, turning and walking away. Carl quickly catches up to him. 

"Where are you going?" Carl asked the man, making sure he was next to Daryl the whole time. 

"Followin' the scent," Daryl replied, not slowing down. 

They walked a bit farther away from the Sanctuary building before finally stopping at the gate surrounding the place.

"There," Daryl said, pointing at a certain part of the metal. The was a hole just big enough to squeeze through. 

To Carl's surprise, Daryl suddenly ducked and pushed himself through the hole. When he made it through, he motioned for Carl to follow him. Carl complied, getting some dirt in his face when he finally popped out.

They were free, outside of the barrier. Even Negan was oblivious to their freedom. 

"C'mon." Daryl grabbed Carl's arm and led him away from the gates.

"What are you doing?" Carl asked Daryl after a few moments when they reached about twenty feet away from the place, forcing Daryl to stop. 

"We can escape," Daryl told him. Carl blinked in shock. 

"I - I don't think - I mean, what about the people who keeps invading Sanctuary…?" Carl stuttered, realizing that Daryl didn't know that Carl chose to stay. How would he react? The thought scared Carl a little. 

"That don't matter, what harm will they do to _us_?" Daryl pointed out. "We can jus' go." 

"They attacked me!" Carl blurted right before Daryl went to leave again. 

"They what?" Daryl asked incredulously. "What do you mean?" 

"My last heat," Carl explained, "They attacked me and Enid. Negan saved us." 

"'Course he did," Daryl mumbled. "But they won't attack you again. Let's go." 

"But-" 

Daryl quickly inturrupted Carl by putting his hand over the boy's mouth. Carl whined his confusion, not being able to do anything else in Daryl's grasp. 

"Shhh," Daryl shushed quietly in Carl ear, slowly backing away into the shadows.

Carl strained his ears to try and hear what Daryl heard. After a moment, Carl finally picked up voices. 

"So _you're_ the one who fucking dropped them?!" one of the people said. 

"It was a mistake! I didn't mean to-" Then there was a hitting sound. Someone hit the other. 

"They probably know we were there now!" the first man exclaimed. 

"They most likely knew in the first place!" the second argued in his defense. A deep sigh. 

"How many do we have left, at least?" Man #1 asked after a moment of silence. 

"I was able to save three, sir," Man #2 answered. 

" _Only three?!_ " Man #1 shouted. But before he could continue, someone else spoke up. 

"Uh, guys? There's strangers nearby," a woman pointed out. 

"What should we do?" Carl asked in a quiet whisper to Daryl when the man took his hand off Carl's face.

"Jus' wait a moment," Daryl replied softly. How will they get out of this mess?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to Cliffhanger Avenue, where you will be thrown cliffhangers at every turn. We hope you enjoy you're stay. (Lol)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter! See you next time! :)


	23. My Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> (ps. I have no idea what quote to put in this chapter, so if you have any ideas, let me know please. Thanks! :D)

"Who?" the first man asked the woman.

"I don't know," she replied. They were silent for a moment before Carl amd Daryl heard a small shuffling sound close to them.

"Go!" Daryl exclaimed to Carl and they both bolted. They heard the group running after them until they both saw the Sanctuary's gates. That's when the group stopped, not wanting to be seen. 

"Dammit," Daryl muttered under his breath, slowing down when they saw Negan as they got closer to the small hole in the gate. They were so close to excaping, but to no avail.

"There you little shits are!" Negan called to them when they got even closer. Daryl thought about bolting anyway, but at this point Carl was ahead of him and out of reach, still walking towards Negan. He couldn't leave without Carl, he just couldn't.

"Hey, Negan," Carl said shyly when he reached the gate. "Sorry."

"Where the hell did you fucks go?" Negan asked, slight edge in his voice.

"Well, we found the group," Carl told him. Negan's eyes widened slightly before he composed himself.

"What the hell happened? Wait, no, get the fuck back in here, _then_ we'll talk."

\------------

"Where the hell did you see them?" Negan asked urgently. 

"In the middle of the woods," Carl answered. He didn't want Negan to know Daryl was trying to escape, and that he was trying to bring Carl with him. 

"Why the fuck were you in the woods, anyway?" Negan frowned. Carl better not have been trying to let Daryl loose. 

"Followin' their scent," Daryl replied, answering for Carl. He crossed his arms, looking serious. "They were arguin' about somethin'. Why d'you wanna know this?" 

"They are a danger to us," Negan snapped, getting agitated. 

"Danger? To you?" Daryl snorted in disbelief. It made no sense to him. The Saviors were too powerful to have a small group like the people he tracked as a threat. 

"Mostly to Carl, but yes," Negan said, rolling his eyes. "We need to get rid of them before they hurt anyone else. Or before they kill anyone." 

"Negan," Carl cut in, getting Negan's attention. "We can still see if Alexandria can help." 

"Why the hell would we help _him?_ " Daryl asked Carl. The teen turned to him. 

"You guys better," Carl warned him. 

"Why?" Daryl asked again. 

"Because I am fucking living here for who-knows-how-long, and I want to know that I can be safe without those people outside trying to come inside and hurt me," Carl blurted out. 

"The Saviors can hurt you," Daryl pointed out. "Why are you here anyway?" 

"I chose to be here," Carl told him, crossing his arms. Daryl looked at Carl, shocked, then to Negan, then back to Carl again. 

"What?" he asked coldly. Carl gulped. This wasn't good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you like it, or no? Tell me in the comments! :D


	24. Lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry to say that updates will be slow for a while. :)
> 
> But, that just means that they will be slower, I'm not abandoning this. :)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D

_Develop a passion for learning.  
If you do, you will never cease  
to grow.  
**-Anthony J. D'Angelo**  
_

"I don't get it, Carl," Daryl told Carl on the trip back to Daryl's cell. "Why the hell would you want to stay?"

Carl looked down at his feet as he walked, remembering when he had asked Negan if he could stay after Negan offered it. He actually didn't know what went through his mind at that moment to make him leave his family and friends. It was a snap decision and he just went through with it, but _why_? He didn't know the answer.

"I just decided to stay. I wanted to, but I don't know the reason for it," Carl admitted, telling the truth.

"That makes no sense," Daryl pointed out. Carl sighed.

"I know, but…" Carl trailed off, having no idea what to say.

"Just think about it, and if you want to leave, come to me. We'll find a way," Daryl promised as they both reach Daryl's cell. 

"Okay," Carl agreed, not knowing if he made the right decision. He will find out, he guessed.

\------

"What were you guys _really_ doing?" Negan asked Carl when they were in Negan's room, eating. It seemed to Carl that Negan had temporarily forgotten that he had been ignoring Carl - on purpose - for the past two days. Carl didn't mind, though. He got to be with Negan. 

"We were tracking the people. Well, he was," Carl lied, taking a bite out of his sandwich. 

Negan sighed, still disbelieving. "You sure that was what you were doing?" 

"Yeah, why?" Carl was going to protect Daryl from getting a punishment.

"Look, I'm not sure what you told Daryl, or what he told you, but what I'm saying is that I need Daryl to stay. He is one of the few ways I got to keep your people on track," Negan explained. 

"I guess I already knew you were just using him," Carl said after he swallowed a bite. 

"Yeah. So. Just don't go and help him escape, okay? I might still need him for tracking anyway." 

There was a moment of silence between them. Carl tried to get himself to ask Negan the questions that has been going around his head for a while. He was at least able to ask one. 

"Why were you ignoring me?" Carl watched as Negan froze and he could see the gears turning in the man's head as he thinks.

"I thought it would've been best if we separated for a while," Negan finally said after a sigh. 

"You're the only one who actually snapped the last time," Carl pointed out. 

"Yeah. _I_ needed to separate," Negan admitted. 

"Are we good now?" Carl asked cautiously, not sure if this was going to be temporary. 

"Yeah, I think we are," Negan said with a small smile. Carl sighed in relief. He didn't want to spend more days with nothing else to do. Speaking of… 

"Hey," Carl piped up. Negan looked at him expectantly. "Is there, like, any job that I can have? I don't wanna be bored all the time." 

"Well…" Negan thought for a moment. "You can work in the children's room if you want." 

"Sure!" Carl replied excitedly. "That would be great!" 

Negan smirked knowingly. This was Carl's omega side showing through, and Negan knew it. He wondered if Carl also knew that. 

"Are you still up for those lessons?" Negan asked Carl, grin not disappearing. 

"Uh, yeah," Carl told him, blushing ever so slightly. _Cute,_ Negan thought. 

"Then why don't we get started on that. We still have some daylight left." 

"Oh, okay," Carl agreed, nodding. Negan's smile got wider. This was going to be fun. 

\------------

"So. What exactly do you want to learn?" Negan asked Carl when they both got into more comfortable clothes (Carl got dressed in his own room) and sat down on the two couches in Negan's room, facing each other. Negan had an eager look on his face and Carl was blushing slightly. Again. 

"Just… just how all this works," Carl replied, biting his lip. 

"How much do you already know?" 

Carl shrugged. "The basics. Omegas have heats, Betas are pretty much normal, Alphas can go into rut, omegas are weaker than Alphas, blah blah blah." God, Carl hated that last fact the most. 

"You would, in fact, be wrong about the last one," Negan pointed out. Carl blinked quickly in shock. 

"I am?" Carl asked incredulously. 

"Well, yeah," Negan told him in a 'duh' tone. "I mean, there's you, isn't there?" 

"But I'm-" 

"Ah-ah-ah!" Negan cut Carl off, putting his hand up. "Before you start downgrading yourself like I know you would, let me give you this." Negan continued. "Strong-willed Omegas do exist. Most likely all the Omegas that are left are strong-willed. Like you." 

"But aren't omegas still biologically weaker even if they are strong-willed?" Carl asked, getting more curious. 

"Naturally, yes," Negan replied. "But that doesn't mean Omegas can't _get_ stronger. That they can't work out, or train to defend themselves, or fight. They can still do that. Then, if that Omega is focused on the training and keeps at it, they can even get stronger than some Alphas." 

Carl couldn't help but be pleased by that answer. He doesn't have to be weak at all, he realized.

"Omegas still have more weak points, of course," Negan said, leaning back in his seat. 

Carl frowned. He still didn't like that, but best to ask. 

"And what are an omega's weak points?" 

"Well, one them is the love for children," Negan told him, smirk slowly coming back from before. Carl glared at Negan. He did know that, but it didn't make the news any better. He thought that most people would love children just because they're, you know, children. When Carl pointed that out to Negan, the man laughed a little. 

"Yes, that's true," Negan agreed. "It's just that other people usually don't just take in children that aren't even theirs and raise them as their own." 

"They do what?" Carl knew that Omegas can sometimes be more protective and possessive to children, but he didn't think that they would _steal_ them. 

"Yeah," Negan laughed at Carl's reaction. "If they get connected to the child they do. Sometimes." 

"I would never do that," Carl muttered to himself. Negan laughed again. 

"We'll see," Negan teased. 

"I will never steal her! She doesn't even have parents who are alive, anyway!" Carl exclaimed in defense. 

"I never said you will steal Bella, Carl," Negan told him, amusement showing. "And no one even mentioned the girl. It's kinda strange how you immediately went to her, don't you think?" 

"Shuddup," Carl said, crossing his arms and looking away. He decided to change the subject. "What are other weak points?" 

"Hmm. They can get more emotional, though I'm guessing you already know that," Negan shrugged. "They are also sensitive to touch." 

Carl narrowed his eye suspiciously. "How sensitive?" he asked. 

Negan got up and walked swiftly to Carl. He stopped and crouched in front of the boy so he was face to face, then lifted his hand and lightly and softly brushed his fingertips against Carl's cheek. Carl sighed and relaxed into the touch. Negan cupped Carl's face with his hand and kissed the top of his head. Though Carl wanted Negan to kiss him on the lips, he didn't mind this one. 

"If you approach an Omega right, you can touch them and they could easily relax," Negan explained quietly. "Of course, if you seem too threatening, they won't respond the way you want them to."

Carl frowned, thinking. If that's true - and it probably is - that could mean that some people could pretend to be nice and then they could get into Carl's head more easily. He's going to have to be more cautious. 

"Are there any other weaknesses?" Carl asked, leaning slightly more towards Negan. 

"Heartbreak could kill them," Negan murmured and then pressed his lips to Carl's. Carl couldn't help but melt into the kiss, pressing back against Negan. The boy whines when Negan moved the hand that was on Carl's cheek and moved it to his hair. This was way better than what Carl anticipated. 

It wasn't until they separated that Carl registered Negan's words. 

"Heartbreak?" Carl asked, still out of breath. 

"Yeah," Negan confirmed. "It can kill an Omega." 

"How?" 

"They can go crazy," Negan replied. 

"I don't want to get heartbroken," Carl told him, shaking his head. 

"Who does?" Negan asked. "But you won't be. I can promise you that." 

"You can't, Negan," Carl protested. "Even if the only thing you do is die I'll still be heartbroken. You can't promise that I won't." 

"Fine," Negan gave in with a sigh. "Then I'll promise that I'll stick around for you. Always." 

"I can live with that," Carl said with a small smile before pulling Negan into another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer than I expected, but totally worth it!
> 
> It's finally really happening, guys! :D


	25. Bring On the Children!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit, a lot happens in this chapter. Sorry about that. I'm also sorry about the long wait. I haven't forgotten, I promise. :3
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D

_Childhood is not preparation  
for anything. Childhood just is,  
and they only get one. It's  
up to us to protect it.  
**-Lester Laminack**_

"Now what?" Carl asked after about a minute when they separated.

"I actually don't know," Negan admitted with a sigh. "Obviously we can't just ignore this, so…"

"Maybe we can just go from here," Carl suggested. "I would love that."

Negan chuckled as Carl kissed him again. He kissed back for a moment before pulling away. They just stared at each other for a moment until Carl spoke up.

"So does that mean we're together now?" Carl looked at Negan hopefully. He had no idea how this had happened, but he thought that if he let go a little, things might just be okay. It doesn't stop him from being nervous, though.

"Do you want to be?" Negan asked him quietly. Carl quickly nodded. "Then we can be."

"Thank you," Carl said, pecking Negan on the lips. "There is still one more problem, though."

"And what is that?" Negan cocked his head slightly to the side, curious.

"Those stupid wives," Carl mumbled, looking down. Negan laughed deeply, then put his hand to his chest in mock hurt.

"How dare you say that about Janet," Negan said, still mocking. Carl rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"She's fine. I just hate the rest of them… sort of…" Carl realized that he actually liked most of them. The rest were just okay, except for that brat Molly. He still hated her.

"You like 'em and you know it," Negan said.

"Yeah, I know. But if they could just _not_ be your wives, that'd be great." Carl crossed his arm, getting more serious, and Negan could sense that, so he sighed, leaning back a little. 

"I'm not so sure about that," Negan said, also getting serious. 

"I'm not up for a polyamorus relationship, Negan," Carl told him. 

"I can't let my wives go." 

"Negan, I just told you. I don't want-" 

"I know what you said, Carl," Negan cutted him off. "I'm just saying that it will be harder than that." 

"How?" Carl asked, standing up. "How is it so difficult?" 

"Sit down, Carl," Negan told him with a sigh. Carl did, scoffing. "Most of the wives are there for the benefits," Negan explained. "And for some of them, whether or not they have those benefits can mean life or death for them or someone they love. Take Amber for example. Her mother is very sick, so she became my wife to be able to give her mother the medication she needs." 

"Oh," Carl said quietly. He remembered when Janet said that about a week ago and he scolded himself for forgetting that. 

"So now you can see how complicated this can get," Negan said. Carl nodded. 

"Yeah. But what can we do about it? I hate it when you just go and fuck them all the time and never look twice at me," Carl mumbled the last part, kind of embarrassed to admit that.

Negan looked amused at that. "You're right. I don't look twice at you." Carl gave him a look. One of sadness and hurt. "I look at you so many goddamn times I just know it's not twice. Or ten. Or fifty. Way more than that." 

Relief filled Carl at the man's words. "Oh," he said. "But you still fuck them, though."

"I have to say, ever since you came around my sex life started lacking," Negan admitted. "I haven't fucked one in a few days." 

"Oh," Carl repeated. Negan smiled at him, enjoying how much Carl was flustered. 

"It's late," Negan announced after a moment of awkward silence. "We should go to bed." 

"Oh, um, yeah," Carl agreed as they both stood up. Negan was the first to move, walking over to a dresser against the wall and pulling out a t-shirt and long shorts. 

Carl's mouth dropped open as Negan started to take his clothes off, not seeming to care that Carl was right there. Soon, the man was left only in his boxers, which gave Carl a good look at his toned body. The Omega shivered at the sight, biting his lip nervously. He knew they probably weren't going to do much of anything, but Carl couldn't help but get excited. 

"Are you just gonna stand there gawkin' or are you gonna change?" Negan asked Carl with a teasing tone, not glancing at the teen as he spoke. 

"I-I don't have any clothes to change into," Carl stuttered. He blushed when Negan suddenly threw him one of his t-shirts. 

"Wear that," Negan told him. 

"But what about pants?" Carl asked, a little unsure. 

"You have boxers don't you?" Negan turned to him with a smirk, fully dressed in his night clothes. Carl nodded a reply, gulping. "Then just wear those." 

Negan got into the bed and laid down on his back, giving Carl a look. "Well, go on now." 

Carl, with shaking hands, nervously took off his flannel, then his shirt. He didn't miss how Negan's eyes raked across his chast, making Carl blush deeper. The boy started to hate how nervous he was, scolding himself a little for giving Negan another reason to tease him. And tease him he did. 

"I'm enjoying this little strip tease, but can you hurry up? I'm tired and I want you in my bed with me." Negan give Carl a wink when he shot the man a glare. He did hurry, though, quickly tossing his clothes on the ground and climbing up on the bed. 

Negan grinned at him as he got settled under the covers. Negan stayed over the covers, which confused Carl. When he asked about it, Negan let out a sigh. 

"Don't want to make it more likely that I lose control," Negan replied, giving Carl an apologetic look. 

"If you're scared you you will lose control, then you probably won't," Carl pointed out to him. Negan hesitated, then got under the covers, facing Carl. _That was easy,_ Carl thought.

They were silent for a few minutes until Negan spoke up. 

"Do you always breathe with your mouth?" Negan asked, making Carl blink in surprise at the sudden question. 

"Sometimes, I guess. I dunno, I usually do when I sleep but I don't know much about when I'm awake," Carl answered, thinking about the fact the Negan noticed that, which meant he was looking at his lips. 

"Huh," Negan said. They went back to silence. 

Carl decided to breathe through his nose for a little bit, and when he did, he got a lungful of Negan's scent, making him dizzy. It smelled of alcohol and leather, with some faint and sweet coconut smell drifting through that. Carl felt like he could drown in the the scent and be happy. He wondered why he was only getting all of this just now until he got it. 

The smell was everywhere around him. Literally. It was next to him, over him, under him, _on him_. It's not like he hasn't smelled it before, not at all. It's that for the first time ever, the scent was overwhelming. Carl wanted more, and because of that, he scootched closer to Negan, feeling the sudden urge to cuddle the Alpha. 

"What are you doing?" Negan asked as Carl got only inches from him. 

"Sorry, I just…" Carl trailed off, unsure how he could explain himself. Negan seemed to get it though, as he wrapped his arm around Carl and pulled him closer to him. 

Carl pressed as close as he could to Negan's chest, breathing in his scent. There was a wave of it suddenly and Carl realized that Negan must be either comfortable or trying to mark Carl with his scent. Probably both, Carl thought. 

Wrapped in the Alpha's scent, occasionally purring contentedly, Carl slowly, but surely, fell asleep. 

\------------

When Carl opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that Negan was gone. He growled in annoyance, sitting up and smoothing down his hair. 

He got up and off the bed, realizing that the only clothes he had with him was the ones he wore yesterday. He thought about going to his own room and getting clothes from there but quickly dismissed the thought, not wanting to risk being seen in only a shirt and boxers, let alone in Negan's shirt. 

Carl sighed, grabbing his dirty clothes and changing into them. He'll take a shower and change later today, he thought. But first, breakfast. 

After eating, he goes to his own room to get ready to shower. 

He gets the warm water going and soon steps into the tub, enjoying the feeling of the steaming water running down his back. He gets himself clean, wanting to get out quickly. This was only his second time taking a shower at the Sanctuary but he was still cautious, knowing that there was some people there that wouldn't mind a piece of Omega. 

He shivered at the thought, suddenly feeling a bit of fear. What was up with him? He never acted this way before. 

_Negan will protect you,_ a voice in his head told him. He knew that Negan probably wouldn't, at least he couldn't all the time if he did. Last night must've done something to his head, even though that wasn't the first time he had slept in Negan's arms. That time had just been… different. 

Looking down, he realized that thinking about Negan like that had an effect on him. Remembering that he had locked the bathroom door so no one could barge in on him, he thought _why not?_ and wrapped his hand around his length. 

He moaned, closing his eye and leaning against the shower wall. He began to jerk, thinking about Negan in his boxers then what would happen if he took those off. He bit his lip and moved faster, chasing his climax. He rubbed thumb over his tip and his legs nearly buckled, feeling slick starting to drip down his thigh. 

His mind was racing, filled with Negan, Negan, Negan. _He's mine,_ the voice in his head said and he growled as he came, spurting over his hand and the wall in front of him. 

He shivered again as he realized that it wasn't the voice in his head that said that; he had said it out loud. For the first time, Carl has fallen in love, and, somehow, he was okay with that. 

\------------

Carl walked down the basement stairs, excited to see the kids. Though he knew he was mostly excited to see Bella.

He opened the door to the Children's Room and stepped in, closing the door behind him. The children were loud today, screams and laughter echoing around the room. Probably because there were a lot more of them. 

Carl quickly found Gabby preparing a bottle near the fridge where they keep the milk. 

"Hey," he greeted her, smiling. She looked up at him and smiled back. 

"Wassup?" she asked him, shaking the bottle. 

"Nothing much." Carl shrugged. "I actually asked Negan for a job yesterday and he said I could work here, so…" 

Gabby sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God. We definitely need help. There are only two of us and we are exceptionally busy today as you can probably see." 

"Why?" Carl questioned. 

"Just some trip or something a lot of people are going to," Gabby replied with a shrug. 

"Where are they going?" Carl wondered. 

"I don't really know. But I'm really busy right now so I can't think much about it." 

"Here," he held out his hand. "Which child needs that? I can feed them." 

"Thank you so much," Gabby said, handing the bottle to him. "Just give this to anyone who needs it. There is always someone." 

"But there are a few kids crying, how do I know…?" Carl looked around in hesitation. He knew that not all the children were crying for bottles as some of them looked to be too old for them, and bottles aren't the only thing you need. 

"There is a reason I'm excited that we don't just get another person to help, we get an Omega's help. Their instincts for this stuff are very strong. So trust me, you'll know." Gabby smiled at Carl, trying to assure him. "Sorry, but I really need to go now. Thanks again. So much." Gabby kissed Carl's cheek and rushed towards a toddler that had fallen down and was now crying. 

Carl looked around again and saw that the other person, a woman with short brown hair, was tending to an infant. _Here we go_ , Carl thought, then started to walk around. 

He tried to urge his instincts to do something as he looked for someone to feed. He rolled his eye, annoyed by the fact that he felt nothing, when he landed on a crib by the side of the wall to his left. The room was huge and there was a lot of children so he had to weave around a lot of kids and toys to be able to fulfill his urge to check on the baby in the crib.

When he reached it, he peered inside to see a tiny infant, probably only few weeks old, staring up at him with wonder in its eyes. Carl felt this sudden pang in his chest, wondering why someone would leave a child this young alone. It hurt him physically, and he didn't know why. Well, he knew why, he just didn't know how. 

He picked up the small baby and smiled softly at it. The baby stared up at him then started to cry. Carl swiftly put the bottle up to its lips and it latched on quickly, starting to suck. 

"There we go," Carl murmured to it as it fed. "You're so cute. I wonder what your name is." He looked all over for a name tag or something, gently moving it as to not startle it. There was nothing, to Carl's surprise. He didn't even know the gender of the baby. It was just wrapped in a gray blanket. "Poor baby. They just leave you alone. They so mean," he cooed at it. 

He jumped when he surprisingly feels something grap his leg. He looked down and smiled as he saw Bella grinning up at him. 

"There she is," Carl said, kneeling down to look at her. "I was wondering where you were." 

Bella giggled and tugged at Carl's pant leg. Carl sat the bottle down for a moment and petted her hair, then kissed her forehead. 

He grabbed the bottle again then heard angry yelling close by them. They both turn to look and they see two five-year-old arguing over a toy. 

"Hey!" Carl exclaimed, standing up and going to them. 

He knew this was going to be a busy day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter! Comment if you can! :)


	26. The Baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty basic chapter, probably because I did a lot in the last one. Oops. Next chapter will be a little more eventful, I promise. (But not too eventful, hopefully.)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! :D

  
_Family is not an important_  
_thing, it's everything._  
**_-Michael J. Fox_**

Carl opened the door to Negan's room after a long, hard day at the Children's Room. Well, he tries to open the door, but then realized that the damn thing was locked.

"Shit," Carl cursed under his breath. It needed a key on this side, but Carl never realized that Negan ever locked the door. Then he remembered that Negan only ever let Carl in when he was already with him. This was the first time Carl has tried to go in by himself.

After making sure that he definitely couldn't open it and shifting the thing he was holding, he knocked. "Negan? You in there?" he called through the door.

After about ten seconds of waiting, Carl heard a click of the door being unlocked and he wondered why Negan didn't just open the door. Carl just shrugged it off and opened the door and walked in.

"Hey," Carl greeted after closing the door behind him. He saw Negan's body sprawled out on the bed, breathing steadily. "Hard day?"

"Yup," Negan muttered, and Carl could tell that he was exhausted. That was probably why Negan didn't bother to open the door.

"Same," Carl admitted, smiling. He walked closer to Negan and the bed, tilting his head to the side curiously. The hormones of spending almost an entire day around lots of children still had an effect on him, making him feel giddy, but calm. 

Negan hummed softly for a moment before glancing at Carl. Seeing what the teen had in his arms made him roll his eyes and groan in annoyance. 

"Seriously, Carl?" Negan said, exasperated. "A fucking baby?" 

Carl scoffed, adjusting the newborn in his arms. 

"The poor thing was all alone," Carl explained, pouting. He remembered what Gabby had told him when he asked about the weeks old baby. She said that nobody knows who the baby belongs to, that the child was just left on front of the door to the Children's Room not that long before. 

"In a room full of people?" Negan asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"He was still lonely!" Carl insisted, then said quietly, "I could tell." 

"Carl, you can't just go and bring back random babies," Negan scolded. 

"But he needed me! I couldn't just leave him!" Carl wailed. 

"Oh Lord," Negan mumbled to himself before sitting up at the edge of the bed, facing the Omega. 

Carl looked at Negan with big eyes - eye - trying to look as innocent as possible. 

"Look," Negan began tiredly. "I get that you are all worked up and hormonal, but you can't keep the baby." 

"I never asked to keep him," Carl sassed.

"But you want to," Negan pointed out, making Carl look down, defeated. "What happened to 'I'll never steal a child'?" 

"I didn't steal him," Carl said. "I just took him." 

"I digress." Negan crossed him arms, frowning. 

"Okay, fine. I kinda stole him. But I couldn't help it!" Carl looked down at the newborn's curious eyes and swooned. "I mean, look how cute he is!" 

"Carl…" Negan warned. Of course this would happen. Negan should have expected it after agreeing to let Carl work in the Children's Room. Definitely when, on the first day, the room was busy as fuck. 

"Fine," Carl sighed. "But can I keep him?" 

"Carl, I literally just said-" Negan cut himself off with a groan. "I'm too tired for this shit." 

"Yay!" Carl exclaimed, starting to sway the baby soothingly, trying not to get _too_ crazy as he didn't want to agitate the little thing. 

"No! Not yay!" Negan felt like he was scolding a child. "Carl, can we just… talk about this tomorrow? It's starting to get late and I want to sleep." 

"'Kay," Carl said, barely listening. He was too busy cooing and rocking the baby to even care. "He's so small," he commented quietly. 

Negan had a feeling that when the next morning comes and Carl's not raging with hormones, the teen will change his mind about keeping the child. He sort of hoped so. Carl was a little too young to be a parent, anyway. At least, that's what Negan thinks. 

\------------

"But Negan-!" 

"No, Carl! Just… no! You can't keep the damn baby!" Negan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, getting more annoyed by the second. 

He was wrong. He was so, so wrong that night thinking that Carl would let the baby go the next morning. Well, now it's the next morning and Carl is still refusing to bring the baby back. Great. 

"He's mine!" Carl snapped. What did fade away during the night was the raging hormones Carl got from being surrounded by kids for hours on end. Which means that Carl won't act all whiny - and sort of cute - and will act more like himself. So now he's angry. 

"No, he's not," Negan argued. Why couldn't Carl just see that he can't just take babies and call them his? _Omegas. What're you gonna do with them?_ he thought. 

"Well, now he is," Carl insisted, just before the baby in question started to cry. "He needs a bottle," Carl told Negan, looking around as if one will appear suddenly.

Negan sighed and shook his head. _This kid,_ he thought. Now what is he going to do? Carl obviously won't give up the newborn that easily. What can he even do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! :)

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any questions, feel free to ask them!


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